Hiring Organization
Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD)
Hiring Office
Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
ENRD-26-047-EXC
Location:
150 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002 - United States
Application Deadline:
Monday, August 10, 2026
About the Office
The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking 1 or more experienced litigators for its Wildlife and Marine Resources Section in Washington, DC or Denver, Colorado.
The first cut-off date for referral of applicants will be July 20, 2026. The second cut-off date will be on the closing date of August 10, 2026.
Job Description
The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section litigates civil defensive cases in federal courts across the country under federal wildlife and marine species statutes, including the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. These are primarily record-review cases challenging agency rulemaking and decisions such as species listing determinations, fishery regulations, and the operation of dams and other federal projects. The Section' s work intersects with critical federal missions such as public lands management, energy production, and national defense. The Wildlife Section also civilly enforces the Animal Welfare Act, often through emergency motions seeking injunctive relief, and pursues civil forfeitures of seized animals. The Section' s docket is varied, fast-paced, and often involves novel issues and matters of national significance.
WMRS seeks to hire and cultivate talented attorneys and provides its lawyers with regular and meaningful court experience in a variety of jurisdictions on a broad range of issues. Wildlife Section attorneys are expected to manage their own dockets with first-chair responsibility across all phases of litigation, including strategic planning with agency attorneys and staff, drafting procedural and dispositive motions, handling discovery, negotiating settlements, defending emergency motions, examining witnesses, and presenting oral argument. Attorneys in the Section also are expected to counsel client agencies on their compliance with statutes under the Section's jurisdiction. Applicants should possess strong legal writing, analytical, and strategic thinking abilities and should be comfortable with general principles of federal jurisdiction and civil procedure.
Qualifications
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants must have the years of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal experience for the specific grade level requirements listed below:
At least 1.5 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-13 grade level.
At least 2.5 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-14 grade level.
At least 4 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-15 grade level.
Applicants should have a strong interest in federal litigation, trial work and/or appellate work, and an exceptional academic background. Judicial clerkship experience and familiarity with defensive civil litigation is highly desirable. Applicants must demonstrate superior research, analytical, and writing abilities.
Application Process
How to Apply
You must apply online through USAJOBS. Click on the APPLY Online button. Follow the prompts to answer a few questions and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.
Applicants must submit a current resume, cover letter with brief statement of interest, writing sample, law school transcript, and DD-214 (if applicable).
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login ), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/
Internet Sites: For more information about the Environment and Natural Resources Division, visit the web site at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd .
This and selected other legal position announcements can be found on the Internet at: https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veteran preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran preference must include that information in their 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 Veteran 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.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 his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes the following:
Resume (not to exceed two pages) demonstrating relevant experience and month/year the experience was obtained
Cover letter with brief statement of interest
Writing sample
Copy of J.D. degree transcripts
DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation, if applicable
Your resume MUST include full employment information such as periods of employment with month/year started and ended, title of position(s), part time hours worked, and description of duties. If you have Federal employment, you must include the grade of the position(s).
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Salary
Years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level.
The possible salary range is:
Washington DC:
GS-13 ($121,785 - $158,322)
GS-14 ($143,913 - $187,093)
GS-15 ($169,279 - $197,200)
Denver, CO:
GS-13 ($118,675 - $154,280)
GS-14 ($140,239 - $182,316)
GS-15 ($164,956 -$197,200)
