Assistant United States Attorney

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington is seeking dedicated attorneys to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) in our Criminal Division. You will be assigned to prosecute general crimes, focusing on organized crime, child exploitation, drug trafficking, human trafficking, immigration, and firearm related offenses. AUSAs handle cases from investigations through trial and sentencing with integrity and efficiency.

Duties

Working for the Department of Justice as an AUSA provides tremendous opportunities to develop litigation skills at an accelerated rate. Few litigation positions, whether in private practice, government, or military service, offer such rich and varied experiences and responsibilities. Working in the Criminal Division, you will be a part of a dedicated team representing the United States, and your job will be to do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons, every time. AUSAs work hard to keep the community safe, uphold victim's rights, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law. We are seeking motivated individuals who enjoy working on a wide variety of challenging litigation matters while supported by colleagues and law enforcement officers of the highest caliber. AUSAs are encouraged to grow professionally through the support of mentors and the Department of Justice's world-class training resources, including by periodically attending seminars at the DOJ's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The person who fills this AUSA position will be part of a dedicated team assisting in the enforcement and prosecution of federal criminal laws. The primary assignment will include the investigation and prosecution of a wide range of criminal matters that may include drug trafficking, violent crime, firearms offenses, organized crime, money laundering, child exploitation, terrorism, fraud, criminal immigration, and public corruption. Criminal AUSAs spend substantial time reviewing legal process, such as search warrants, assisting federal law enforcement agents in structuring and implementing criminal investigative plans and strategies; making thoughtful charging decisions; managing discovery, handling detention and suppression hearings, negotiating plea resolutions, and litigating at trial and sentencing. Collateral duties will be assigned, as needed, including program leadership, training, outreach, and other division priorities. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as an AUSA is trained and gains experience. 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. Qualifications

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. Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar in any jurisdiction. Applicants must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. Bar membership documents must be submitted to show active status. Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information. Applicants should demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the capacity to accurately articulate critical issues in a case. Superior oral and writing skills, along with strong research and interpersonal skills, are essential. Applicants should also exhibit good judgment. Applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills and demonstrate the ability to work professionally with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies. A demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree by Enter on Duty (EOD) date. How You Will Be Evaluated

Evaluation Method: Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more). Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Other Information

Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of pay is $76,748 to $197,100 which includes locality pay. 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. Travel: Travel for cases or to other offices within the District will also be required as needed; and occasional travel may be required for training. 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. 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. EEO Statement: 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. As needed, additional vacancies may be filled using this announcement.