Trial Attorney - Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

About the role

The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking experienced litigators for its Wildlife and Marine Resources Section in Washington, DC or Denver, Colorado. The section litigates civil defensive cases in federal courts nationwide under federal wildlife and marine species statutes, including:

• Endangered Species Act
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act

These cases primarily involve record-review challenges to agency rulemaking and decisions, such as species listing determinations, fishery regulations, and the operation of dams and other federal projects. The work intersects with critical federal missions, including public lands management, energy production, and national defense.

The Wildlife Section also enforces the Animal Welfare Act through civil actions, often via emergency motions for injunctive relief, and pursues civil forfeitures of seized animals. The docket is varied, fast-paced, and frequently involves novel issues of national significance.

Attorneys in the section manage their own dockets with first-chair responsibility across all phases of litigation, including strategic planning with agency attorneys, drafting motions, handling discovery, negotiating settlements, defending emergency motions, examining witnesses, and presenting oral argument. They also counsel client agencies on compliance with relevant statutes.

Responsibilities

• Manage civil defensive litigation in federal courts under wildlife and marine species statutes.
• Handle all phases of litigation, including strategic planning, drafting procedural and dispositive motions, discovery, settlement negotiations, and oral argument.
• Defend emergency motions and examine witnesses.
• Counsel client agencies on compliance with statutes under the section’s jurisdiction.
• Enforce the Animal Welfare Act through civil actions, including emergency injunctive relief.
• Pursue civil forfeitures of seized animals.

Requirements

• Strong legal writing, analytical, and strategic thinking abilities.
• Comfort with general principles of federal jurisdiction and civil procedure.