Assistant United States Attorney

USAO District of Nevada
Appellate Division
Attorney
Las Vegas, NV 89101
United States
23-NV-12131389-AUSA
About the Office: 

This position is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For information about the District of Nevada, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv

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 Nevada has an opening in its Las Vegas office for an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in its Appellate Division. Appellate AUSAs litigate appeals and post-conviction matters in all criminal cases prosecuted in the office, including cases involving organized crime and gangs; public corruption; sophisticated white collar crime; violent crime; major drug offenses; child exploitation; criminal immigration offenses; and more. Appellate AUSAs draft appellate briefs and responses to post-conviction motions, argue appeals in the Ninth Circuit; consult with and advise Criminal Division AUSAs on issues arising in the pretrial and trial phases; review and edit documents drafted by others; assist in preparing other AUSAs for oral argument; research legal issues; and prepare appeal recommendations from adverse district court decisions for review by the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.

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


Security Requirements:
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

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

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications
Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen, possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:
Ideal candidates will have five or more years of post-J.D. experience, including appellate litigation experience. A federal appellate clerkship, outstanding academic record, and prior AUSA experience are preferred but not required. Candidates should be able to demonstrate proficiency and excellence in drafting briefs, researching and analyzing complex legal issues, and arguing cases in trial and appellate courts. Ideal candidates will also have strong background in issues commonly arising in federal criminal cases and collateral proceedings, to include constitutional challenges arising under the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendments; 28 U.S.C. § 2255; applicable rules of evidence and criminal procedure; discovery and disclosure doctrine; sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines; and U.S. Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit precedent in these areas. Appellate AUSAs are expected to have superior organizational and public presentation abilities, to be motivated by a strong commitment to public service, and to contribute to the training and professional development of other AUSAs.

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

Salary: 
The 2023 salary range for AUSAs in Las Vegas NV is $70,447 to 183,300 with starting salaries between $90,000 to $100,000 for attorneys who have practiced law for 5 years.
Travel: 
Occasional travel may be expected.
Application Process: 

You must apply online at: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/749423800 Please be sure to read the announcement through it's entirety prior to applying.

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).
  • Optional - A cover letter.
  • Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include month/year), law school graduation date (month/year), and date admitted to bar (month/year).
  • Highly Recommended - Writing sample.
  • 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.

 

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, October 6, 2023
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Number of Positions: 
One or more
Updated September 18, 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.