Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

Responsibilities will include objecting to bankruptcy plans proposed under chapter 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, reviewing (and opposing where necessary) proposed asset sales in bankruptcy, prosecuting motions to dismiss or convert bankruptcy cases from one chapter to another, protecting federal agencies' interest in cash collateral, obtaining determinations regarding the dischargeability of federal debts, and responding to objections to federal agencies' claims.

The position will also require defending the following types of lawsuits filed in Bankruptcy Court: (i) complaints to determine the dischargeability of federal debts, (ii) complaints to determine the extent, validity or priority of federal liens, and (iii) complaints to recover pre-bankruptcy payments to federal agencies.

Typical agencies represented include the Department of Treasury (including the IRS), the Department of Health and Human Services, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Education.

The candidate must work independently and serve as effective and dedicated advocates for the government's interests, timely and efficiently pursue the just resolution of their assigned cases and make sound and legally supportable decisions. The candidate must possess the foresight and organizational and legal skills needed to manage a diverse caseload that involves both a high volume and complex cases. They must be able to identify the relevant legal and factual issues in their assigned cases, and to develop and implement effective strategies for all proceedings in those cases, including motions practice, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, trial, and appeal. They must be able to work well with their colleagues, supervisors, support staff (including a dedicated Senior Bankruptcy Paralegal), and witnesses. They must have strong legal research skills, be able to produce high-quality written work even under short deadlines and be persuasive oral advocates. Newly hired AUSAs are expected to quickly develop subject matter expertise and possess or rapidly acquire expert-level knowledge of the bankruptcy procedures and other applicable rules and laws.

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

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.

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.
• J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. 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 possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Evaluation Method: Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview.

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.

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

- Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
- Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:

• Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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