Trial Attorney

Summary

The Litigation & Enforcement Division of the Office of Chief Counsel handles a wide range of investigatory and litigation activities relating to motor vehicle safety as well as defensive litigation, rulemaking, and counseling.

Duties

As a Trial Attorney, you will: Represent or assist in representing the agency in a wide range of investigatory and enforcement activities pursuant to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Represent or assist in representing the agency in a range of litigation over rules and regulations, such as motor vehicle safety standards and fuel economy regulations, and other agency actions under the Administrative Procedure Act, Vehicle Safety Act, Freedom of Information Act, and other statutes. Represent the agency before administrative tribunals such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). As a Trial Attorney in the Litigation and Enforcement Division you will have opportunities to be involved with a diverse portfolio of high-profile and innovative legal issues including enforcing the Nation's motor vehicle safety laws and the laws governing fuel economy. Attorneys in the Litigation and Enforcement Division lead investigations into potential violations of law and seek civil penalties or other sanctions when warranted. Attorneys work in close partnership with technical experts on recalls and on investigations of potential safety defects in motor vehicles and noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Attorneys also prepare regulations related to enforcement and advise on a wide range of other legal issues. With the Department of Justice, attorneys in the Litigation and Enforcement Division also participate in a range of litigation over rules and regulations, such as motor vehicle safety standards and fuel economy regulations, and other agency actions under the Administrative Procedure Act, Vehicle Safety Act, Freedom of Information Act, and other statutes. Attorneys in this Division also represent the agency in personnel cases before administrative tribunals such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). This position is perfect for a professional looking to grow with a great Federal agency. We are seeking highly qualified individuals who are willing to meet the challenges of public service and support our mission. NHTSA is looking for someone who is highly motivated and who can communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, at all levels of the organization. The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, a customer/client service-oriented approach, creativity and initiative, and sound legal and practical judgement.

Qualifications

To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following: Grade 13 - Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and be in good standing of a bar. Applicant must have 2 years of relevant professional legal experience. Conducting legal research and drafting legal analysis to support senior attorneys and managers. Drafting routine legal documents, discovery materials, or specific sections of pleadings and briefs for civil litigation or administrative proceedings. Assisting with the mechanics of civil litigation, enforcement activities, or investigations under the guidance of senior counsel. Grade 14- Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and be in good standing of a bar. Applicants must have 3 years of relevant professional legal experience. Performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers. Composing pleading, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in civil litigation; AND Conducting civil litigation Grade 15- Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and be in good standing of a bar. Applicants must have 4 years of relevant professional legal experience. Independently performing legal analysis Composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil litigation. Briefing clients or senior leadership on legal issues. Conducting highly complex civil litigation. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Oral Communication- Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others , attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Written Communication- Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process. Problem Solving- Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have a professional law degree, and must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

How You Will Be Evaluated

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package. If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages. Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov//Help/how-to/account/documents/resume/build/ COVER LETTER: (Limited to two pages) The cover letter should specifically address your interest in the position and why you believe your experience, skills, and interest in the position qualify you for the position in light of the duties and qualifications described in this job announcement. RESUME (Limited to two pages) - It must show education and relevant experience supporting your qualification for the position. Please send a traditionally formatted resume rather than a resume created within USA Jobs Resume Builder. PROOF OF BAR MEMBERSHIP: Must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED as there is a stated education requirement for the series. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - click here. WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested. VETERANS: Department of Transportation attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Transportation considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with supporting documentation e.g., SF15, DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

How to Apply

You must submit a complete application package (including the required documents specified below) no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement by email to NCC100@dot.gov.

What to Expect Next

Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

Additional Information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, 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 2-year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

To qualify, your experience should include experience and education equal or equivalent to the following: Grade 13 - Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and be in good standing of a bar. Applicant must have 2 years of relevant professional legal experience. Conducting legal research and drafting legal analysis to support senior attorneys and managers. Drafting routine legal documents, discovery materials, or specific sections of pleadings and briefs for civil litigation or administrative proceedings. Assisting with the mechanics of civil litigation, enforcement activities, or investigations under the guidance of senior counsel. Grade 14- Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and be in good standing of a bar. Applicants must have 3 years of relevant professional legal experience. Performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers. Composing pleading, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in civil litigation; AND Conducting civil litigation Grade 15- Possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and be in good standing of a bar. Applicants must have 4 years of relevant professional legal experience. Independently performing legal analysis Composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil litigation. Briefing clients or senior leadership on legal issues. Conducting highly complex civil litigation. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Oral Communication- Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, considering the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others , attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Written Communication- Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process. Problem Solving- Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.