Assistant United States Attorney

Summary The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY) serves an area comprised of 32 counties in upstate New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney's (AUSAs) are staffed in Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Syracuse, and appear before federal judges there and in Utica. Approximately 55 attorneys and 51 support personnel work in NDNY, along with several subject-matter specialist contract personnel. Find additional information about the NDNY at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny Learn more about this agency Duties The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York seeks experienced attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Civil Division, including in both the defensive civil litigation and Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) units. Applicants should indicate in their cover letter whether they seek consideration for defensive civil litigation, the ACE unit, or both. Civil Division AUSAs serve as lead counsel in federal litigation from investigation through appeal and receive substantial responsibility from the outset. Attorneys manage their own dockets, appear regularly in federal court, collaborate closely with federal agencies and Department of Justice components, and handle matters of significant national and regional importance. Defensive Civil Litigation: Attorneys in the defensive civil litigation unit represent the United States, its agencies, and federal employees in a broad range of complex federal litigation matters. These matters include negligence actions under the Federal Tort Claims Act, employment discrimination suits, constitutional tort claims against federal officers, Freedom of Information Act litigation, prisoner litigation, civil immigration matters, and related defensive civil actions. Attorneys may also defend constitutional and administrative challenges to federal statutes, regulations, policies, programs, and agency decisions. Attorneys may also represent the United States in bankruptcy proceedings. Civil AUSAs handling defensive litigation manage all phases of their assigned matters, including factual investigation, discovery, depositions, settlement negotiations, mediation, motion practice, trials, and appeals. AUSAs serve as lead counsel in federal court proceedings and work directly with client agencies and agency counsel throughout the litigation process. Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE): Attorneys in the ACE unit investigate and litigate affirmative civil matters on behalf of the United States, with a particular emphasis on False Claims Act cases involving health care fraud, procurement fraud, grant fraud, and other fraud affecting federal programs. The Office maintains an active and sophisticated False Claims Act practice, including matters initiated through qui tam complaints and investigations conducted jointly with federal law enforcement agencies, inspectors general, and agency partners across the government. In addition to False Claims Act matters, ACE AUSAs handle affirmative litigation involving environmental violations and federal civil rights statutes, including matters involving voting rights and discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or disability. Attorneys may also handle matters involving civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act and other enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice and the Office. ACE AUSAs may also represent the United States in bankruptcy proceedings. ACE matters frequently involve parallel criminal, regulatory, and administrative investigations and require close coordination with agents, auditors, investigators, and attorneys from the Department of Justice and other United States Attorneys' Offices. Attorneys are expected to manage investigations strategically, exercise sound judgment, and litigate independently in federal court. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Selective Service Requirement: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov. Residency Requirement:Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information. Travel Requirement: Employment will require occasional travel to court at one of the designated District sites, namely Albany, Auburn, Binghamton, Malone, Plattsburgh, Syracuse, Utica, and Watertown. Other occasional travel within and/or outside the District may be required. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a United States Citizen or National. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required. Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information. Qualifications Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. Applicants must hold United States citizenship. Preferred Qualifications: The ideal candidates will: Have at least 3 years of post-J.D. experience that provided significant opportunity to develop strong legal writing, oral advocacy, and courtroom litigation skills; Demonstrate facility with federal civil practice; Be comfortable with all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation; Collaborate effectively with others, including AUSAs, law enforcement, support staff, and court personnel; Possess impeccable integrity; Be self-motivated, justice-oriented, organized, and courteous; and Capable of receiving substantial responsibility from the outset and expect to manage matters independently while maintaining the highest standards of advocacy and public service. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon closing date of this announcement. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. The staffing of these positions is subject to the availability of funds. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree. Additional information Salary: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $65,563 to $171,487 per year, plus a locality pay supplement, where authorized. For Binghamton, Plattsburgh, or Syracuse, NY, the total salary range is $76,748 to $197,100 per year, which includes 17.06% locality pay. For Albany, NY, the total salary range is $79,180 to $197,100 per year, which includes 20.77% locality pay. Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees. Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized. This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer 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. 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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances. Political Appointees (Current and Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.