Trial Attorney - Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

The Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking 1 or more experienced litigators for its Wildlife and Marine Resources Section in Washington, DC or Denver, Colorado. The first cut-off date for referral of applicants will be October 7, 2026. The second cut-off date will be on the closing date of October 28, 2026.

The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section litigates civil defensive cases in federal courts across the country under federal wildlife and marine species statutes, including the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. These are primarily record-review cases challenging agency rulemaking and decisions such as species listing determinations, fishery regulations, and the operation of dams and other federal projects. The Section' s work intersects with critical federal missions such as public lands management, energy production, and national defense as these missions impact wildlife and marine resources. The Wildlife Section also civilly enforces the Animal Welfare Act, often through emergency motions seeking injunctive relief, and pursues civil forfeitures of seized animals. The Section' s docket is varied, fast-paced, and often involves novel issues and matters of national significance. WMRS seeks to hire and cultivate talented attorneys and provides its lawyers with regular and meaningful court experience in a variety of jurisdictions on a broad range of issues. Wildlife Section attorneys are expected to manage their own dockets with first-chair responsibility across all phases of litigation, including strategic planning with agency attorneys and staff, drafting procedural and dispositive motions, handling discovery, negotiating settlements, defending emergency motions, examining witnesses, and presenting oral argument. Attorneys in the Section also are expected to counsel client agencies on their compliance with statutes under the Section's jurisdiction. Applicants should possess strong legal writing, analytical, and strategic thinking abilities and should be comfortable with general principles of federal jurisdiction and civil procedure.