Assistant United States Attorney

USAO District of Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Attorney
222 W. 7th Ave, #9, Suite 253
Anchorage, AK 99513
United States
23-AK-12072183-A6
About the Office: 

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska is a vibrant and energetic office in the most majestic state in the country. The USAO has offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. There are 36 Assistant United States Attorneys who prosecute federal crimes and defend and pursue the interests of the United States in civil cases.  This employment opportunity is in the Criminal Division, Fairbanks and Anchorage offices.  Relocation expenses may be considered.

Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from all qualified men and women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBT 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.

Job Description: 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska is seeking applications from experienced attorneys who have superb research and writing skills as well as a criminal law background to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancies in the Criminal Division. Additional vacancies may be filled using this announcement..

The successful candidate primarily will be responsible for handling the investigation and prosecution of federal crimes. This will include prosecuting cases such as firearms offenses, drug crimes, child exploitation, violent crimes, fraud, embezzlement, public corruption, and other white-collar crimes. In addition, the candidate may also be called upon to assist in the prosecution of a wide variety of other criminal cases as needed to address the District's priorities. Assistant United States Attorneys work their cases from inception through appeal, and thus, in addition to district court work, the successful candidate will be responsible for drafting appellate briefs and presenting oral arguments.

The successful candidate must have the legal acumen and experience to successfully prosecute a complex white collar, organized crime, or drug trafficking organization case, or is capable of prosecuting such a case if given the appropriate training and experience. The candidate must also have a prosecutor's professional temperament and judgment. They must have the desire to do justice, meaning to vigorously use the power of our office to protect the public, but also to protect the rights of defendants based on strong ethical beliefs. Finally, the successful candidate must be an inspiring colleague and leader, or is capable of being such a colleague and leader as they develop. Such leadership can be overt, but can also be exercised by example in day to day work. An essential part of being this type of colleague is being a dedicated team player; someone who believes in effective teamwork.

Qualifications: 

Required qualifications: Applicants must have excellent academic credentials, a J.D. degree, an active membership in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction, three (3) years post-J.D. experience, superior analytical abilities and oral communications skills, excellent research and writing skills, good judgment and strong character. Mentoring and training will be provided. 

United States citizenship is required.

Salary: 
Assistant U.S. Attorney pay is based upon the number of years of experience, ranging from basic pay $83,695 to $183,400 which includes locality pay. In addition there is a non-taxable cost of living allowance where authorized.
Travel: 
Some travel is required.
Application Process: 

This position is open until filled, however, applications received by 8/18/2023, will receive first consideration.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. 

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on November 2, 2023 through USAJobs at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/741272400.  Packages should contain a resume, cover letter, and a list of references.  Please indicate office or branch location preferred: Anchorage (Main Office) or Fairbanks (Branch Office).

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account.  Follow the prompts o select you USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

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. 

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. 

You are encouraged to apply online.  Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.  However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact Alesia Gordon at alesia.gordon@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

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 the Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing a client 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.

Application Deadline: 
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses may be considered.
Number of Positions: 
1
Updated August 3, 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.