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Legal Careers

Assistant United States Attorney

Hiring Organization
USAO Northern District of Ohio
Hiring Office
Criminal Division
Job ID
23-OHN-12070726-AUSA-09
Location:
801 W. Superior Ave.
Suite 400
Cleveland 44113 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The United States Attorney's Office prosecutes federal crimes and defends the U.S.government's interest in civil cases. The United States Attorney's Offlce, Northern District of Ohio, includes offices located in Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown, Ohio. More information about this District can be found on our website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh.

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 United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio is seeking to hire an Assistant United States Attorney to work in the Office's Criminal Division and be responsible for representing the United States in the investigation and prosecution of Domestic Terrorism and/or Violent Crimes. This position will focus on confronting and curtailing violent crimes committed by individuals acting on their own and in conjunction with others. It may involve prosecution of a wide range of crimes including gun and drug offenses, Hobbs Act robberies, arsons, RICOs, VICARs, and other violent crimes committed to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences.

The AUSA will review and analyze allegations of violations of domestic terrorism and/or other violent crime; develop strategies for investigations; coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies to ensure that cases are investigated thoroughly and effectively; develop testimonial and documentary evidence relevant to cases; present evidence to federal grand juries; identify relevant legal issues in cases and investigations; recommend for or against federal prosecution; meet and confer with officials from the Department of Justice, other federal, state, and local government agencies, and interested non-governmental organizations; and establish good working relationships with partners and federal investigative agencies nationwide.

In addition, the AUSA will prepare and present cases for prosecution, to include preparing grand jury authorization requests, prosecution summaries, and indictment recommendations; preparing indictments, motions, pleadings, and briefs; conducting pretrial discovery and motions practice; developing testimonial and documentary evidence for trial; and conducting every aspect of trial preparation and trial presentation in federal criminal trials.

The AUSA will also handle non-litigation matters that arise in relation to the Division's mission of investigating and prosecuting cases. These non-litigation duties might include participating in strategy and coordination meetings; conducting legal trainings, public presentations, and other forms of outreach; meeting with interested persons regarding prosecutorial decisions; and other non-litigation duties.

Responsibilities will increase, and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) full years of post-bar admission professional attorney experience.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have strong academic credentials, superior legal research and writing skills, quick analytical ability to accurately and precisely articulate critical case-related issues, courtroom experience, good interpersonal skills, the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with client agencies, support staff and other attorneys, and a demonstrated commitment to public service.Applicants must possess excellent computer skills. Experience with automated research, electronic court filing, and various word-processing systems, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, is required.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Application Process

Applications may be submitted online through the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/740321900 

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.

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.

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Required - Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
  • Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year). (cover letter optional).
  • Required, if applicable - To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
  • A writing sample is not required as part of the initial application process. A writing sample will be required during the interview process.
Salary

Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $77,558.00 to $169,372.00 which includes 21.69% locality pay.

Number of Positions
1
Travel
The AUSA may be required to travel throughout the Northern District of Ohio to attend court proceedings, interview witnesses, attend meetings and to attend training at the Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.
Relocation Expenses
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

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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.   

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs:  Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.

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.

Updated July 31, 2023