Assistant United States Attorney

USAO District of South Dakota
Criminal Division
Attorney
325 S. 1st Avenue Suite, 300
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
United States
23-SD-CRIM-004
About the Office: 

The United States Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota includes a main office located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and two branch offices located in Pierre and Rapid City.  South Dakota encompasses a large and diverse geographical area of 75,809 square miles and a population of about 895,376 people.

More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, South Dakota can be found at:  http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/

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: 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota is seeking an experienced attorneys to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) positions in the Criminal Division of its Sioux Falls office.  AUSAs in the Criminal Division advise federal law enforcement agents on criminal investigations, present criminal cases to the grand jury, prepare and argue a broad range of motions, and try criminal cases before the United States District Court.  Candidates should be capable of handling significant and complex criminal prosecutions involving a variety of violations of federal laws related to firearms, narcotics, white collar fraud, child pornography, and immigration crimes as well as Major Crimes Act violations in within Native American Reservations and other federal lands involving murder, child sex abuse, rape, and more.

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 one year of post-JD legal or other relevant experience. Be a U.S. citizen or National.  In addition, applicant must also be a member, or be eligible to become a member, of the federal district court bar.  If the successful candidate is not a member of the South Dakota Bar, he or she must become a member of the South Dakota Bar within twelve months.

Preferred Qualifications:  Applicants must demonstrate superior analytical ability; strong research, writing and courtroom skills; exercise fair and sound judgment; follow all Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office policies; exhibit the ability to work collaboratively in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and law enforcement agencies; superior analytical and communications skills; handle matters in court persuasively and justly on behalf of the United States of America; and be devoted to excellence. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Salary: 
Assistant United States Attorneys pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional experience. The range of starting pay including a 16.50% locality payment is $69,107 to $180,756.
Travel: 
Employment will require occasional travel to court at designated sites within and outside the District. Travel is also required for training at the Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center, Columbia, SC.
Application Process: 

Provide cover letter, resume, writing sample (not to exceed 20 pages), and list of three professional references with contact information.  All documents are to be submitted electronically in one single PDF attachment and include the announcement number (23-SD-CRIM-004) in the subject line of your email.  Email address to submit application package:

USASD.applications@usdoj.gov

Note:  The District of South Dakota is not responsible for lost/misrouted or delayed email transmissions.

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, June 30, 2023
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Number of Positions: 
Multiple positions could be filled.
Updated June 16, 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.