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Trial Attorney (Corporate Financial Litigation)

Offices, Boards and Divisions

Washington, DCFull-time$85–197K/yrPosted 1 day ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$85–197K/yr
Location
Washington, DC
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Active U.S. Bar MembershipDoctorate

Job overview

The Corporate/Financial Litigation Section represents the United States in complex affirmative and defensive litigation involving federal programs and government financial and property interests. Trial Attorneys handle matters in bankruptcy, district, and appellate courts, including disputes involving contracts, loans, grants, and recovery of money. They manage all phases of litigation and communicate with client agencies, Department of Justice leadership, opposing counsel, and others.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

LitigationLegal ResearchLegal WritingNegotiationInterpersonal SkillsJudgmentDocket ManagementDeadline Management

Qualifications

J.D. Or EquivalentActive U.S. Bar MembershipU.S. Citizenship1+ Years Post-J.D. Legal ExperienceStrong Litigation BackgroundComplex Civil Litigation or Chapter 11 Bankruptcy ExperienceJudicial Clerkship Experience2-Year Trial Period

Full job description

Summary

The Corporate/Financial Litigation Section handles an array of cases that reach all facets of the United States' economy, with a focus on federal programs that implicate significant financial and property interests of the government. The Section litigates both affirmative and defensive claims based on the Constitution, statutes, and federal regulations in federal courts, and protects the United States' financial and programmatic interests in bankruptcy cases.

Duties

The Corporate/Financial Litigation Section seeks experienced attorneys to represent the United States in a broad range of complex litigation matters. Trial Attorneys in the Section have a varied practice that includes both affirmative and defensive litigation in the United States bankruptcy, district and appellate courts. The practice encompasses, but is not limited to, bankruptcy, contract disputes, government loan and grant programs, and a variety of other matters involving the recovery of money for the United States. Trial Attorneys are expected to handle all phases of litigation, including conducting legal research and analysis, authoring motions, briefs and other legal documents, managing written discovery, taking and defending depositions, attending court hearings, arguing motions, and conducting trials. Trial Attorneys communicate regularly with client agencies, Department of Justice leadership, opposing counsel, and others. Trial Attorneys work on both individual and team cases in support of the Branch's and Department's mission of defending the interests of the United States. Qualifications

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), be a U.S. citizen. The minimum years of post-law degree experience commensurate with the grade level of eligibility is shown below. Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level. To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, applicants must have up to one (1) year of legal experience. To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have minimum (1) or more years post-J.D. legal experience To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must possess at least one and one-half (1.5) years of post-J.D. legal experience. To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must possess at least two and one-half (2.5) years of post-J.D. legal experience. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must possess at least four (4) years of post-J.D. legal experience. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Preferred qualifications: Applicants should have a strong background in litigation and experience handling complex civil litigation matters or Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Applicants should have excellent writing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, and exhibit good judgment. Applicants should demonstrate capability to manage a large, active docket of cases and produce polished work product in accordance with established deadlines. Judicial clerkship experience is highly desirable. Trial Period Statement As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

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://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. How You Will Be Evaluated

Please Note: The Selecting Official may select additional candidates if more positions become available within 120 days after the closing date of the vacancy. Other Information

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.pdf for 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 [email protected], 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. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.

How this job compares

Set against the 455 open Litigation Attorney jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 7, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$85–197K/yr
  • US median$123–197K/yr290 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $141K, is 11% below the US median midpoint ($159K) — in the middle half of Litigation Attorney salary ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 17 open Litigation Attorney jobs in Washington, D.C. and 455 across the US. 10% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most across the US
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Litigation Attorney postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 365 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a doctorate or professional degree; 281 of the 455 open Litigation Attorney jobs (62%) ask for a doctorate or professional degree.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 7, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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