The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington has a motivated, friendly, and talented staff, and prosecutes federal offenses, defends the United States Government’s interests, and affirmatively pursues claims on behalf of the government, representing the United States in all criminal prosecutions and civil and appellate litigation. The District is comprised of 20 counties with offices in Spokane, Yakima, and Richland, and is bordered by Canada to the north, Oregon to the south, Idaho to the east, and the summit of the Cascade Mountains to the west. This area is rich in farmland, forested mountains, and high desert. Because this area celebrates four distinct seasons, recreational opportunities are numerous and include bicycling, hiking, snow skiing, water sports, fishing, and hunting.
To learn more about what Washington has to offer, please visit the following links. Additional information on eastern Washington is also available at https://www.explorewa.org/single-post/exploring-eastern-washington, on Spokane at www.visitspokane.com (link is external), on Yakima at https://www.yakimawa.gov, and Richland (in the tri-Cities area) at www.visittri-cities.com.
The USAO-EDWA strives to provide an inclusive, rewarding work environment for employees of all backgrounds. Our office places a high value on diversity and encourages applications from all qualified individuals from all backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and persons with disabilities.
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.
The US Attorney is seeking experienced attorneys to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Criminal Division in the Eastern District of Washington. The U.S. Attorney is seeking applications for AUSA positions in the Spokane, Richland, and Yakima offices. The AUSA will be responsible for handling a variety of criminal cases.
The AUSA selected for a position in the Eastern District will prosecute federal criminal matters which may include firearm cases, drug crimes, immigration, violent crime, Indian Country offenses, white collar fraud cases, and child exploitation cases. The AUSA may also handle cold cases, including cases involving missing and murdered indigenous people.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progresses.
This is a full-time permanent appointment, however, all initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
As needed, one or more vacancies may be filled using this announcement.
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must have a J.D. degree and at least one year of post-J.D. legal experience. In addition, applicants must possess superior oral and written communication skills as well as strong interpersonal skills, exhibit good judgment, and be able to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. The District seeks attorneys who have outstanding legal ability, high moral character, mature judgment, and demonstrated excellence in criminal trials.
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.
Applicants will be required to go through a background investigation, including credit, tax, and drug tests. Initial appointment is conditional based upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, and continued employment past the 14 month provisional period is subject to a favorable adjudication of the background investigation.
You must be a United States Citizen or National.
You must be registered for selective service, if applicable.
You must meet all the above qualifications as of the closing date of this announcement.
Preferred qualifications: Preferred candidates would have at least three years of post J.D. legal experience. Applicants must possess excellent research and writing skills, experience with e-discovery and e-litigation procedures, superior oral communication skills and demonstrated capacity to function with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. Ideal applicants will possess significant trial or other relevant experience, including prosecuting violent crime. Applicants must exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with the supervisors, attorneys, staff and client agencies.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications posted in the vacancy announcement. Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all requirements and qualifications. You will be notified if selected for an interview, and after making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/Security background investigation for the candidate selected. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days from the closing date of the announcement. Once a final selection is made, notification will be sent to applicants.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) September 30, 2023 on USAJobs to receive consideration. Applications will only be accepted through the USAJobs system at LINK.
Resumes will not be accepted by email, fax, or regular mail. If you need an accommodation to apply, please see the accommodation section below.
You must provide a complete application package which includes:
Required: your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (online at USAJobs).
Required: Your Resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year), AND the Location and Month/Year of your J.D. Degree, AND the Jurisdiction Month/Year of your bar exam.
Required: Proof of active bar membership under the laws of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. This could be a copy of a bar card, certificate of good standing, or screenshot of the appropriate bar or disciplinary board website showing active status and dates.
Required (if a federal employee): A recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
Required (if applicable): To receive veterans preference consideration, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire, and you must submit the appropriate complete supporting documentation (DD-214, Veterans Administration Letter, etc.) as outlined in the veteran’s preference section. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
Required – Cover Letter. Documents should be addressed to the First Assistant United States Attorney (FAUSA), Richard Barker. Optimally, cover letters should address why you would like to work with our office, what practice areas interest you, and which location(s) specifically you would prefer and why.
Required– Writing sample. Writing samples should be 10 pages or less. Any samples submitted beyond this length will be truncated to the first 10 pages.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. You can find this announcement at LINK
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
4. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
No telephone calls please. Reasonable accommodation requests can be sent to USAWAE.Jobs@usdoj.gov.
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.