Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney
McAllen, TX 78501 - United States
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, with approximately 190 Assistant United States Attorneys, is among the largest in the country. The office prosecutes federal crimes and represents the interests of the United States in civil cases. The Southern District of Texas stretches from the Houston area southwest to the Mexican border. The United States Attorney's Office operates staffed offices in Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.
About the McAllen Division: The McAllen Division handles an extremely heavy criminal caseload. In 2013 alone, the McAllen office indicted over 1,900 felony cases. A total of 19 attorneys work in the office, 11 of whom prosecute the bulk of the divisions criminal cases. The successful applicant will thus have ample and immediate opportunity for courtroom work.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas seeks one experienced attorney to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in its McAllen office. The incumbent will investigate and prosecute violations of federal laws, specifically criminal health care fraud matters. This is a TERM appointment not to exceed 13 months.
Type of Position: This is a TERM position not to exceed 13 months from the date of entry on duty. The incumbent will be required to sign a statement regarding the conditions of the TERM appointment. The TERM appointment may be extended for an additional period of time without further competition; however, any extension is not guaranteed and is also dependent upon budgetary constraints.
The incumbent may be considered for placement in a permanent Assistant United States Attorney position without further competition during the term of the appointment; however, placement in a permanent position is not guaranteed.
All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis unless the conditions of employment are term in nature.A selectee who is currently employed with the U.S. Attorney's Office will be considered and the employment status will be reviewed based on his/her current appointment.
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three years of full-time post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications: Hiring preferences include significant first-chair criminal litigation experience, strong academics, outstanding organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills, superior legal writing and research ability, and a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Familiarity with statutes and regulations regarding health care fraud is desirable, but not required.
Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
United States citizenship is required.
Applications must be submitted online through the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/417329300. The deadline to apply on-line is 11:59 p.m. (EST) on October 15, 2015. If unable to apply on-line, the announcement provides instruction on faxing your documents in the "How to Apply" tab.
Complete applications submitted through USAJOBS will include:
Required: Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire;
Required: Cover letter (including the announcement number) addressed to: Mitch Neurock, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney's Office, 1000 Louisiana, Suite 2300, Houston, TX 77002
Required: Resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year);
Required: Brief writing sample (not more than 20 pages); and
Required, if applicable: Documentation supporting claim for veterans' preference or hiring eligibility based on disability status (see Department Policies).
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. All application materials must be submitted via the USAJOBS website by the closing date of the announcement. No hard copy or E-mailed documents will be accepted.
Please, no telephone calls regarding the status of an application once the announcement has closed.
If you have questions: Feel free to contact Dell Mara Lovell, Human Resources Officer, E-mail Dell.Mara.Lovell@usdoj.gov with questions regarding the application process.
Grade AD 21-29; Range of basic pay for 2015 is $45,477 to $134,177 pa, plus authorized locality pay.
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
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.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
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/Help/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 must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-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. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: 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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. 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, 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 their 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).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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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.