Assistant United States Attorney

USAO District of Wyoming
Civil Division
Attorney
2120 Capitol Ave
Suite 4002
Cheyenne, WY 82001
United States
22-WY-01
About the Office: 

Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, provide Federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. We strive to build a stronger office through recruitment efforts and maintain the high standards of the office by promoting professional development. We seek to build a legacy of excellence.

In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner.

The District of Wyoming encompasses a large and diverse geographical area of 97,914 square miles and a relatively small population of approximately 588,283.  The United States Attorney’s Office employs 16 Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs), 12 in the Criminal Division and 4 in the Civil Division.  More information on the District of Wyoming can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/wy/ 

The City of Cheyenne is Wyoming's capital and most populous city, and it is the county seat of Laramie County.  Cheyenne is at the crossroads of I-80 and I-25 and is only 90 minutes north of Denver and Denver International Airport, which serves as a major hub for several airlines.  With a population of approximately 62,000, Cheyenne is the northern anchor city of the vibrant Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains.  Wyoming offers a relaxed lifestyle, no personal income taxes, low sales tax, and reasonable property taxes.  It offers extensive outdoor opportunities for skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, and hunting. 

Additional information on the State of Wyoming’s outdoor and cultural attractions can be found on the Internet at the following website:  http://www.travelwyoming.com   

Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from all qualified individuals from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities.
Job Description: 

This position is located in the Civil Division in our Cheyenne Office.  The successful candidate will be responsible for a variety of litigation involving the United States, both affirmative and defensive.  Due to the small number of civil AUSAs employed in the District, each civil AUSA may handle a broad range of cases, including those involving torts, bankruptcy, environmental matters, health care fraud, employment discrimination, commercial litigation (including collections), and challenges to federal agency actions, among others. 

Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department’s evacuation authority, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Employees in this status may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component’s telework policy.

Qualifications: 

Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least five years of post-J.D. attorney experience.  If the successful candidate is not a member of the Wyoming State Bar and is not eligible to become a member of the Bar upon motion or transfer of UBE score, he or she will be expected to favorably complete the Wyoming Bar Examination at the next available opportunity.

Preferred Qualifications:  Applicants should possess superior oral and written communication skills and should demonstrate incisive analytical ability, excellent judgment and effective trial advocacy.  Applicants must exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies.

United States Citizenship is required.

Salary: 
Assistant United States Attorney pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The salary range for this position is $76,440 to $155,361 per annum which includes locality pay.
Travel: 
Travel within and outside of the District will be required.
Application Process: 

The application deadline is March 8, 2022.  Please provide a detailed resume, list of references, writing sample and cover letter for our consideration.  Your resume should clearly indicate periods of employment, with reference to the full date, e.g., June 12, 1997 to May 5, 2002.  Your cover letter should: (1) indicate why you are interested in this position; (2) explain the extent to which you are familiar with Cheyenne and the Rocky Mountain Region; (3) summarize your qualifications to serve as a civil Assistant U.S. Attorney; (4) indicate the vacancy announcement number under which you are applying; and, (5) address how you plan to become a member of the Wyoming State Bar if you are not already a member.  Please send your application to:

Jonell Christianson, Human Resources Specialist

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming

Post Office Box 668, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003-0668

Applications may also be emailed to USAWY-Humanresources@usdoj.gov

Persons applying by email are responsible for ensuring that email and any attachments are received no later 11:59pm Mountain Time on March 8, 2022.  (note:  the District of Wyoming cannot be responsible for lost/misrouted/delayed email transmissions.)

No phone calls please. 

Hand-carried applications must be received by 5:00 pm, Mountain Time on March 8, 2022.  Hand-carried applications must be dropped off at the Cheyenne, Wyoming office, 2120 Capitol Ave, Suite 4002. 

This and other attorney vacancy announcements in the Department of Justice can be found at:  http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/lateral-hiring.html

The website for the Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office can be located at the following link: http://www.justice.gov/usao/wy/

Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof.  See 28 U.S.C. § 545 for district-specific information.    

All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month time-limited (temporary) basis to provide sufficient time for the background investigation to be completed and adjudicated and for any negative issues to be addressed.  Temporary appointments may, or may not, be extended or made permanent without further competition.  Candidates should be aware that a probationary period will likely be required.

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.

Application Deadline: 
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation Expenses are not authorized
Number of Positions: 
1
Updated February 17, 2022

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Department Policies

COVID-19 Vaccination:  Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

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 his  or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

 

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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.