Summary

The Civil Division of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois is seeking an attorney withat least one year (three years is preferred) of post-J.D. legal experience, primarily for its Peoria Division, to assist with civil litigation, including our District-Wide bankruptcy practice. Duty station for this vacancy will be determined by management.

This job is open to
The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

Duties

Although this position primarily is focused on civil litigation in our Peoria Division, our Civil Division represents the United States, its agencies and employees at the state and federal trial and appellate levels, including the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in a wide variety of both defensive and affirmative civil actions throughout the forty-six counties comprising the Central District of Illinois.

Each year, thousands of lawsuits against the government are filed as a result of its programs, policies, laws, and domestic and foreign operations, as well as law enforcement initiatives, military actions, and counterterrorism efforts, including complaints alleging various torts and constitutional violations by federal employees.

In our affirmative litigation, we bring suits on behalf of the United States, primarily to recoup money lost through fraud, loan defaults, and the abuse of federal funds. Annually, hundreds of millions - and often billions - of dollars are returned to the Treasury, Medicare, and other programs as a result of the Department of Justice's Civil Division's litigation efforts. This includes our vigorous enforcement of federal environmental laws and securing environmental justice for the communities and people throughout our District.

We also have a very active civil rights practice that upholds the civil rights of all people within the Central District of Illinois. This includes enforcing federal laws that protect people from discrimination based on their race, color, national origin, disability status, sex, religion, familial status, or loss of other constitutional rights.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

This is a full-time permanent appointment, however, all initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment
You must be a United States Citizen or National.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
JD Degree and active member of the bar (any US Jurisdiction) required.
Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must have a J.D. degree and at least one year (three years is preferred) of post-J.D. legal experience. In addition, applicants must possess superior oral and written communication skills as well as strong interpersonal skills, exhibit good judgment, and be able to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. The District seeks attorneys who have outstanding legal ability, high moral character, mature judgment, and demonstrated excellence in civil litigation.

Applicants must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. Bar membership documents must be submitted to show active status.

Applicants will be required to go through a background investigation, including credit, tax, and drug tests. Initial appointment is conditional based upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, and continued employment past the 14 month provisional period is subject to a favorable adjudication of the background investigation.

You must be a United States Citizen or National.

You must be registered for selective service, if applicable.

You must meet all the above qualifications as of the closing date of this announcement.

Preferred qualifications: Preferred candidates would have at least three years of post J.D. legal experience. Applicants must possess excellent research and writing skills, experience with e-discovery and e-litigation procedures, superior oral communication skills and demonstrated capacity to function with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. Ideal applicants will possess significant trial or other relevant experience including a wide variety of defensive and affirmative civil actions. Applicants must exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with the supervisors, attorneys, staff and client agencies.
Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree from an accredited school or university.

Additional information

Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $66,729 to $145,725 plus locality.
The locality for Rock Island is 18.66%.
The locality for offices other than Rock Island is 16.82%.

Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

• * *

This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.

Travel: Travel for cases or to other offices within the District will also be required as needed; and occasional travel may be required for training.

Type of Position: All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Diversity Statement: As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Application Process: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications posted in the vacancy announcement. Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all requirements and qualifications. You will be notified if selected for an interview, and after making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/Security background investigation for the candidate selected. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days from the closing date of the announcement. Once a final selection is made, notification will be sent to applicants.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) June 17, 2024 on USAJobs to receive initial consideration. Applications will be pulled every 30 days and the vacancy announcement will close on May 16, 2025. Applications will only be accepted through the USAJobs system.

Resumes will not be accepted by email, fax, or regular mail. If you need an accommodation to apply, please see the accommodation section below.

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete application package which includes:

Required: Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (online at USAJobs).

Required: Your Resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year), AND the Location and Month/Year of your J.D. Degree, AND the Jurisdiction Month/Year of your bar exam.

Required: Proof of active bar membership under the laws of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. This could be a copy of a bar card, certificate of good standing, or screenshot of the appropriate bar or disciplinary board website showing active status and dates.

Required (if a federal employee): A recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

Required (if applicable): To receive veterans preference consideration, you must indicate your preference in your assessment questionnaire, and you must submit the appropriate complete supporting documentation (DD-214, Veterans Administration Letter, etc.) as outlined in the veteran's preference section.

Required - Cover Letter. Documents should be addressed to the United States Attorney (USA), Gregory K. Harris. Optimally, cover letters should address why you would like to work with our office, what practice areas interest you, and which location(s) specifically you would prefer and why.

Required- Writing sample. Writing samples should be 10 pages or less. Any samples submitted beyond this length will be truncated to the first 10 pages.

Required- Transcripts (both undergraduate and law school).

The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement at Central District of Illinois can be reached at 217-492-4483 or Fabiola.La Porte@usdoj.gov

Department of Justice Policies
The Department of Justice is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants. See U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for complete details.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.

Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov//working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/16/2025 to receive consideration.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)

3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact Central District of Illinois at 217-492-4483 or email at Fabiola.La Porte@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

Agency contact information
Fabiola La Porte
Phone
217-492-4483
Email
Fabiola.La Porte@usdoj.gov
Address
Central District of Illinois
318 S. 6th Street
Springfield, IL 62701
US

Next steps

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit and tax checks, and a drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days after the closing date of the announcement.