The Torts Branch is responsible for the defense of the United States and its employees in tort litigation seeking monetary judgments for damages resulting from negligent or wrongful acts. The Branch a so prosecutes a significant number of affirmative tort claims to recover for damages to government property. The Torts Branch is the principal guardian of the public fisc against new tort suits that seek billions of dollars in monetary damages each year.
Learn more about this agency Help03/14/2022 to 04/14/2022
$89,834 - $164,102 per year
GS 12 - 14
4 vacancies in the following location:
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
15
No
Yes
DE-11424129-22-CM
642581000
Trial attorneys in Office of Constitutional and Specialized Tort Litigation - Vaccine Litigation Staff - represent the interests of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in all cases filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act ("Vaccine Act"). The cases involve claims of injury as a result of the receipt of vaccines covered by the Act. The position offers a unique experience in public service and involves trial practice. The legal and medical issues at stake in each case vary. Trial attorneys independently manage heavy caseloads, and while streamlined procedures are utilized, many cases involve complex scientific issues of causation that require employment of experts in medical fields such as pediatrics, neurology, immunology and epidemiology. In cases in which petitioners are found entitled to compensation, the litigation often requires retention and management of experts to develop an appropriate life care plan for the injured party - to include medical treatment, remedial care, rehabilitation, calculation of lost earnings, actuarial projections and structured settlements.
Attorneys appear frequently before the Office of Special Masters in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and also appear before the judges of the Court, as well as in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit when handling appeals. Responsibilities include factual and legal research, medical record review, brief writing, and working with expert witnesses to develop the defense of claims, as well as to address the life care needs of vaccine-injured petitioners. As the majority of cases are resolved through settlement, attorneys also engage regularly in settlement negotiations, including alternative dispute resolution, and drafting settlement memoranda and related documents. Due to a recent increase in cases filed under the Vaccine Act, the office is expanding to address the additional workload.
Applicants must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), have at least one year of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-12 level; have at least two years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; or have at least three years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-14 level.Beyond the minimum years of post J.D. experience, other factors are taken into consideration as well such as, litigation experience, relevance of experience to our practice area, etc. You must also be a U.S. citizen. Applicants should have excellent writing, negotiation and interpersonal skills and exhibit good judgment. Trial experience is strongly preferred, although not required.
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Veteran Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veterans' preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/.
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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. 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 Veterans' Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdffor a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s).
DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com.
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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications. Your application will be evaluated by a reviewing panel.
Please Note: The Selecting Official may select additional candidates if more positions become available within 120 days after the closing date of the vacancy.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
1. To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
2. Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department's evacuation authority, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area.
However, you will be expected to relocate if you are not local to the area. This is not a remote location position.Employees in this status may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component's telework policy.
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, including the required documents indicated below. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on the listed closing date of this announcement. A complete application package must include:
1. Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
2. Résumé - Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
3. Writing Sample (not more than 15 pages in length).
4. If you are claiming veterans preference, you must also submit your DD-214 (Member-4 Copy), and/or other documentation that you may have.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by email to:
CSTL-Vaccine.Vacancies@usdoj.gov.
Applicants may also send their materials by commercial courier service, (FedEx or UPS) to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division, Torts Branch
CSTL/Vaccine Litigation
3CON, Room 8.1314
Washington, D.C. 20005
ATTN: Alexis Babcock, Assistant Director
No telephone calls, please.
Once the application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All qualified applications will be sent to the hiring official for review. You will be contacted directly if an interview is desired.
1. To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
2. Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department's evacuation authority, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area.
However, you will be expected to relocate if you are not local to the area. This is not a remote location position.Employees in this status may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component's telework policy.
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.
HelpTo apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, including the required documents indicated below. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on the listed closing date of this announcement. A complete application package must include:
1. Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
2. Résumé - Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
3. Writing Sample (not more than 15 pages in length).
4. If you are claiming veterans preference, you must also submit your DD-214 (Member-4 Copy), and/or other documentation that you may have.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by email to:
CSTL-Vaccine.Vacancies@usdoj.gov.
Applicants may also send their materials by commercial courier service, (FedEx or UPS) to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division, Torts Branch
CSTL/Vaccine Litigation
3CON, Room 8.1314
Washington, D.C. 20005
ATTN: Alexis Babcock, Assistant Director
No telephone calls, please.
Once the application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All qualified applications will be sent to the hiring official for review. You will be contacted directly if an interview is desired.
Read moreThis job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/642581000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.