Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) - Open Continuous

Summary The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is unique in the size and the scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. On the local side, AUSAs assigned to the Superior Court Division prosecute cases ranging from misdemeanors to homicides. On the federal side, AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute federal crimes. The Civil Division further defends the United States in civil suits brought in the District of Columbia. Learn more about this agency Duties The Special Proceedings (SP) Division handles post-conviction motions filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The work of the SP Division is wide-ranging and includes ineffective assistance of counsel claims, claims of actual innocence, requests for early release in serious violent crime cases, prosecutorial error claims, requests for post-conviction DNA testing, motions to withdraw guilty pleas, sex offender registration challenges, motions to reduce sentence, and habeas claims. The Division's work encompasses collateral attacks filed in misdemeanor cases, violent crime cases, complex fraud cases, lengthy federal drug conspiracy cases, and every other type of criminal case handled by this Office. Some of the Division's cases are straightforward; some are quite complex, require an extensive amount of legal research and writing and/or factual investigation, and can take months or years to resolve. Although much of the Division's work product is written, the Division also handles a wide variety of hearings, including sometimes lengthy evidentiary hearings. The Division thus resembles both a trial section and, with a focus on research and writing and sometimes arcane procedural matters, an appellate section. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. This position is located in Washington, D.C. 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. Residency Requirements: 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. Selective Service: 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. 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. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access depending on organizational assignment/duty location. Qualifications Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one year post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have a law school GPA of at least 3.0 and at least three years of criminal litigation experience and should be committed to public service. They should possess excellent research, writing, analytical and oral advocacy skills. They must be able to identify the relevant legal and factual issues in their cases, develop and implement effective strategies for those cases, function with minimal guidance; and be organized, thorough, and thoughtful advocates. They should be able to work well with a variety of people, including crime victims, colleagues and supervisors, court personnel, defense attorneys, and law enforcement. Experience as a prosecutor, and/or experience with post-conviction litigation, is highly desirable. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov//working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree Additional information Salary Information: This is an excepted service attorney appointment under an Administrative Determined pay scale. (See www.justice.gov/usao/career-center/salary-information/administratively-determined-pay-plan-charts). 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 $87,815 to $197,100 which includes 33.94% locality pay. For additional information on salary and benefits, visit www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorney-salaries-promotions-and-benefits. Other 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. 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. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs:Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. 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.