Assistant United States Attorney

USAO District of Massachusetts
Attorney
1 Courthouse Way
Boston, MA 02210
United States
23-MA-AUSA-02
About the Office: 

Assistant United States Attorneys prosecute all criminal and civil cases brought by the Federal government and defend the United States in civil cases.  

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.

Job Description: 

AUSAs in this district improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents by prosecuting crimes that include terrorism, violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and other white-collar offenses, civil rights offenses, human trafficking, political corruption, organized crime and an array of other federal criminal laws.  The office also enforces federal civil rights laws, safeguards federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid through civil actions and defends the United States in federal court.  This posting is for a position in the Defensive Litigation Unit (DLU). The attorney hired for this position will represent the United States when it is sued in the District of Massachusetts.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the DLU are general civil litigators because they defend the United States in a wide variety of cases that can include employment discrimination and retaliation claims, tort actions including complex medical malpractice cases, lawsuits filed under the Administrative Procedures Act, FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) litigation, Bivens and other constitutional claims, and various immigration and prisoner habeas petitions.  The work in this unit will include practice before both the Massachusetts District Court and the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Working as a federal prosecutor sworn to pursue justice in the name of the United States is deeply satisfying.  Many lawyers look back on their days as an Assistant U.S. Attorney as among the most rewarding of their professional careers.

Qualifications: 

Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (in any jurisdiction), and have at least three years post-J.D. legal experience.

Preferred qualifications:  Five years of experience defending civil matters at the federal or state level or handling complex litigation matters, superior academic credentials, and a record that demonstrates integrity and initiative.

Salary: 
Assistant U.S. Attorneys are generally paid based on their years of experience and year of graduation from law school, with starting salaries around $132,000 for lawyers who graduated in 2011.
Travel: 
Travel within the district and outside of the district may be required.
Application Process: 

To apply, please complete the AUSA Job Application found at: https://www.justice.gov/media/1261346/dl?inline and forward it with a resume and cover letter explaining why you want to be a federal prosecutor and what experiences you have that would enable you to excel at this position  to: USAMA.AUSA.Application@usdoj.gov (link sends e-mail)

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: 
Friday, May 12, 2023
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1 - As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement for other units in the Criminal or Civil Division.
Updated May 1, 2023

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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.