Associate Trial Attorney Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

TRIAL ATTORNEY (APPELLATE LAW)-07-2026

Location: 441 G Street, N.W., Suite 6150

Location: 441 G Street, N.W., Suite 6150
Washington, DC 20530 - United States

Application Deadline:

Sunday, August 23, 2026

The United States Trustee Program (USTP or Program) is a litigating component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders, including debtors, creditors, and the public. The Program operates nationwide through 21 regions comprised of 82 field office locations and exercises broad administrative, regulatory, and enforcement authority in bankruptcy cases. Its responsibilities extend across complex chapter 11 corporate restructurings, small business reorganizations, chapter 7 and 13 consumer matters, and chapter 12 family farmer cases.

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC), within the Executive Office for United States Trustees (EOUST), oversees the Program's legal activities. OGC formulates and oversees the Program's national legal policies and litigation strategies before the bankruptcy courts and through the appellate process, implements the Program's legal priorities, resolves significant legal issues, and provides advice to staff on constitutional and administrative law issues.

OGC is seeking an attorney experienced in complex civil appellate litigation or complex civil litigation to provide expert legal advice and litigate complex civil appeals before federal appellate courts across the nation. The incumbent will serve as a civil appellate expert and will use his or her expertise to help OGC litigate roughly 100 appellate matters annually. Periodically, the incumbent will brief constitutional issues before federal trial courts. The incumbent will also craft administrative decisions.

As a Trial Attorney (Appellate Law), GS-0905-15, duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as a member of a cohesive and collegial team of experienced civil appellate attorneys based in OGC and reporting to the Associate General Counsel for Appellate Practice.
• Litigating complex and important civil bankruptcy appeals across the nation. Litigating constitutional matters before trial and appellate courts. The public's interest in these matters may be substantial. Writing appellate briefs, making oral arguments, and participating in moot courts in USTP appeals.
• Overseeing appeals that attorneys in USTP field offices litigate by acting as a resource, editing draft briefs, and providing guidance.
• Researching and drafting memoranda, which recommend whether to participate in appeals, including matters before the Supreme Court, based upon cases' importance, potential impact upon federal law, and other relevant considerations.
• Providing recommendations to other governmental components, including the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), about significant or novel appeals that the USTP is not litigating directly.
• Acting as a resource, including editing draft briefs, providing guidance, and participating in moot courts in appeals being argued by other Departmental components, including OSG.
• Implementing legal strategies in complex civil appellate matters to advance the policies and goals of USTP and the Department.
• Devising solutions to complex and challenging legal questions involved in USTP civil litigation and presenting them to OGC supervisors and EOUST Senior Leadership.
• Leading, organizing, and preparing material for training and conferences. Developing guidance, programs and procedures to govern USTP activities.
• Presenting USTP and Departmental positions to agencies, private sector organizations, congressional staff, and Departmental components. Addressing and resolving sensitive problems and helping develop guidance.
• Drafting administrative decisions to be issued by Senior Leadership.
• Providing technical advice and assistance, which may include active participation in novel cases.
• Drafting EOUST comments and recommendations on proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Preparing congressional testimony. Tracking proposed rulemaking. Recommending action plans, guidance, and procedures. Drafting responses to congressional inquiries.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Required

To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have at least five (5) years post Juris Doctorate professional legal experience in complex civil appellate law and/or complex civil litigation. The successful applicant should have substantial expertise handling such matters. Strong writing skills are required. Bankruptcy experience is not required. At least two years of the required professional legal experience must be at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

Applicants must be an active member of a state bar in good standing. Please note, in a select few jurisdictions, federal attorneys are required to be active members of the jurisdiction’s state bar.

Preferred

• Significant experience providing a full spectrum of legal services concerning complex civil appellate litigation;
• Ability to utilize their extensive knowledge of complex civil or appellate litigation to provide thoughtful, nuanced, comprehensive and sophisticated legal advice to Senior Leadership;
• Ability and expertise to assume front-line responsibility for handling and overseeing complex civil appeals;
• A record of analyzing complex legal problems, interpreting statutory, rule, and regulatory provisions, developing litigation strategies, and demonstrating superior trial practice skills;
• A record of litigating complex matters including persuasive briefs and oral advocacy;
• Outstanding organizational skills and the ability to address a broad array of issues arising in a large volume of cases;
• The ability to accurately and precisely articulate critical issues in a wide variety of cases and projects;
• The ability to set, manage, and balance diverse, evolving, and challenging projects and priorities;
• Demonstrated initiative and creativity;
• Strong interpersonal communication skills;
• Experience working with or for federal agencies; and,
• A commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Application Process

This vacancy announcement is open to all U.S. citizens. Applicants must submit a complete application package as described below.

Submit your full application package as a single PDF to ustp.employment@usdoj.gov using the following subject line: TRIAL ATTORNEY (APPELLATE LAW)-07-2026.

Required Application Documents:

• A cover letter explaining interest in the position and demonstrating how all qualifications are met.
• A current résumé not to exceed two pages, including months and years of education, employment, and earliest bar admission. Résumés longer than two pages will result in removal from consideration.
• A writing sample of ten pages or less, which can be an excerpt from a longer sample, that is exclusively or primarily the applicant’s own work and includes legal analysis.
• DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member 4 copy), if applicable.
• CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.

Optional Narrative Statements:

The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your commitment to public service to hiring managers and agency leadership. Although responses are optional and will not be scored, applicants are encouraged to address each question thoughtfully. Please limit each response to 200 words or fewer. At the beginning of your submission, please certify that the responses are your own work and that you did not use a consultant or any artificial intelligence (AI) tool, including large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT or Copilot.

• How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.

In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.

• How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
• How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

A panel of subject matter experts will review applications to determine how well a candidate meets the minimum position qualifications outlined above. If a candidate is deemed qualified, they will be contacted via email or telephone to schedule an interview. Interviews will be scored by a selecting committee and those who fall into the best-qualified category will be considered for the position.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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.

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.

Position is on the GS pay scale, full-time and permanent, and possible current annual salary range is: GS-15 ($169,279– $197,200). Years and type of experience will determine the appropriate salary.

Number of Positions

1

Travel

Periodic travel is required depending on work assignments and training.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

This and othervacancy announcements can be found underAttorney Vacancies andVolunteer 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.