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Special Assistant United States Attorney Positions

The U.S. Attorney’s Office continually seeks qualified government attorneys to be detailed to this Office as Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs), either to the Criminal Division in Greenbelt or Baltimore or to the Civil Division in Baltimore. These are details from government agencies, not positions for which persons outside the government can be hired.

The SAUSA Program has three primary purposes. First, SAUSAs handle some of the office’s cases, which enables permanent AUSAs to devote additional attention to other matters. Second, the program gives attorneys from other offices training in, and hands-on exposure to, federal cases from the investigative stage through the appellate process. Third, the program builds relationships among government lawyers.

SAUSAs are required to be citizens of the United States, to be attorneys, to be employed by a government agency, to have a current U.S. Government background check, and to be admitted to practice law somewhere in the United States.

In addition to the detail program, the U.S. Attorney's office accepts a limited number of volunteer SAUSAs, who serve for limited terms in unpaid temporary positions that offer a valuable opportunity to gain exposure to government service while also obtaining litigation experience and attending trials.
 

Criminal Division

In the Criminal Division, SAUSAs assist with federal criminal misdemeanor and traffic cases not handled by military SAUSAs, as well as a wide variety of short-term felony cases, such as felon in possession of firearm, bank fraud, narcotics distribution, child exploitation and government theft cases. The goal of the program is to provide felony trial experience to a small number of carefully selected lawyers. SAUSAs serve for six to twelve months. Each SAUSA is assigned an experienced Assistant U.S. Attorney to serve as a mentor and provide assistance with each of the felony cases assigned to the SAUSA.

To apply to be a SAUSA in the Criminal Division, send an email and resume to:

United States Attorney’s Office
36 South Charles Street Fourth Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
 

Civil Division

The Civil Division represents the United States and its departments and agencies at both the trial and appellate levels in civil actions filed in Maryland. Most of the Civil Division’s litigation involves defensive civil actions in the United States District Court and United States Court of Appeals. Such cases include allegations of discrimination; suits under the Federal Tort Claims Act; challenges to agency actions and government procurement under the Administrative Procedure Act; requests for access to and/or the amendment of records under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act; and the defense of government officials sued in their individual capacities. The Civil Division also pursues affirmative civil actions to recover money from people and businesses that have made false claims or committed other fraud against the government.

Qualified U.S. Government attorneys may be detailed to serve as SAUSAs in the Civil Division for six to twelve months. SAUSAs receive intensive litigation experience including conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions and writing briefs. SAUSAs also may have the opportunity to conduct oral argument and second-chair a trial.

To apply to be a SAUSA in the Civil Division, send an email and a resume to:

Thomas.Corcoran@usdoj.gov
Acting Chief, Civil Division
United States Attorney's Office
36 South Charles Street Fourth Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(410) 209-4800

Updated January 9, 2023