Job Listing
Trial Attorney (Office of Foreign Litigation)
Offices, Boards and Divisions · Posted 1 days ago
About the Role
The Office of Foreign Litigation (OFL) is responsible for handling litigation in foreign courts in which the United States is a party or has an interest. Well-qualified candidates may be eligible for a signing bonus of up to $25,000, with priority given to applicants in D.C., Raleigh, San Francisco, Dallas, and NYC. However, strong applicants from any location are encouraged to apply.
What You'll Do
- →OFL is seeking attorneys to join the office.
- →The incumbent will not litigate in court but will work closely with client agencies and foreign counsel to investigate and litigate civil and/or criminal cases abroad and/or advise and process individual judicial assistance requests, considering the legal issues that commonly arise in connection with such requests.
- →The work with foreign counsel entails providing detailed instructions and advice relating to the handling of assigned matter.
- →An important aspect of the position is to maintain close overall supervision of assigned matters and to develop appropriate litigation strategies that are consistent with the policies of the United States, the Department of Justice, the client agencies, the local law of the forum, doctrines of public international law, and the overall foreign policy and programmatic interests of the United States.
- →In addition, the incumbent will provide legal advice to other DOJ components, federal agencies, and U.S. embassies on a wide variety of issues involving current or potential foreign litigation, foreign and international law, and the impact of foreign and international law programs or activities undertaken abroad.
- →Because foreign litigation impacts the foreign policy of the United States as well as other U.S. government policies and activities, the incumbent will closely coordinate with other agencies, including the Department of State and U.S. embassies abroad, regarding pending or potential foreign litigation.
- →Defensive cases handled by the office include employment, property, contract or tort litigation; criminal actions against U.S. officials acting within the scope of their duties; and other lawsuits challenging U.S. activities abroad.
- →In addition to defensive matters, OFL conducts affirmative litigation, including civil litigation aimed at combatting fraud perpetrated against the United States, contract and other commercial claims, debt collection matters, and fighting cross-border fraud that targets American citizens, as well as affirmative criminal suits when the United States is a victim of a criminal act abroad.
- →OFL has litigated in the courts of over 100 countries.
- →The Office of International Judicial Assistance (OIJA), which sits within OFL, acts as the U.S.Central Authority for incoming requests for international judicial assistance to serve judicial documents or obtain evidence in civil or commercial matters.
- →These requests for international judicial assistance are generally based upon, and require knowledge of, various treaties, including the Hague Evidence Convention, the Hague Service Convention, and the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory and Additional Protocol.
- →In addition to its Washington, D.C. office, OFL maintains field offices in London and Rome that are responsible for litigation in European countries and a field office in Panama that is responsible for litigation in Latin America because OFL attorneys are not licensed to practice law in foreign jurisdictions, they do not appear in foreign courts.
- →Instead, OFL handles litigation through the retention of foreign counsel who represent the interests of the United States in foreign proceedings.
- →OFL attorneys closely supervise and instruct the foreign counsel with regard to litigation positions taken on behalf of the United States.
Requirements
- ✓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.
Personality Fit
This role is commonly a great fit for these MBTI types:
Job ID: d678137d-c5d3-475d-9461-b1ba5965538c
Posted via USAJobs