Assistant United States Attorney

USAO District of Columbia
Attorney
Washington, DC 20530
United States
15-DC-AUSA-08
About the Office: 

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia (USAODC) is unique among the 94 United States Attorneys' Offices across the nation by virtue of its size and its varied responsibilities. It is the largest United States Attorney's Office with up to 350 Assistant United States Attorneys and 350 support personnel. The size of this Office is the result of the breadth of our responsibility for criminal law enforcement and our location in the nation's capital. We are responsible not only for the prosecution of all federal crimes, but also for the prosecution of all serious local crimes committed by adults in the District of Columbia. In addition, we represent the United States and its departments and agencies in civil proceedings filed in federal court in the District of Columbia. As the principal prosecutor for all criminal offenses in this jurisdiction, and as the principal litigator for the United States in the nation's capital, this Office offers extensive litigation experience before over 100 judges in the federal and local courts and unique opportunities for important public service.

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 applicant(s) selected will represent the United States as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in a wide range of civil cases, including cases that are unique and complex. The Civil Division handles both affirmative and defensive civil litigation in both trial and appellate courts. The Division does not have formal subcomponents, so civil AUSAs may be assigned all types of cases and may remain responsible for all proceedings in their assigned cases from inception until final resolution, including trials and appeals.

Approximately seventy percent of the Civil Division's defensive case docket consists of cases brought under the Freedom of Information Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the federal employment discrimination laws. Other kinds of defensive cases, including Federal Tort Claims Act cases and Privacy Act cases, account for smaller percentages. The Division's affirmative case docket is comprised largely of procurement fraud cases, health care fraud cases, and whistleblower cases brought as qui tam actions under the False Claims Act.

Civil AUSAs must serve as effective and dedicated advocates for the government's interests, timely and efficiently pursue the just resolution of their assigned cases, and make sound and legally supportable decisions toward those ends. They must possess the foresight and organizational and legal skills needed to manage a large and diverse caseload that involves lengthy and difficult litigation. They must be able to identify the relevant legal and factual issues in their assigned cases, and to develop and implement effective strategies for all proceedings in those cases, including motions practice, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, trial, and appeal. They must be able to work well with their colleagues, supervisors, support staff, and other participants in litigation such as court personnel, opposing counsel and parties, agency counsel, and witnesses. They must have strong legal research skills, be able to produce high quality written work even under deadline pressure, and be persuasive oral advocates. Newly-hired civil AUSAs are expected to quickly develop subject matter expertise in all areas in which the Civil Division regularly practices, and to possess or rapidly acquire expert-level knowledge of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Qualifications: 

The ideal candidate will have outstanding legal ability, high moral character, mature judgment, a keen desire for public service, and an exceptional aptitude for litigation. Selections are made of the most highly qualified attorneys who apply, without regard to race, sex, creed, color, national origin, handicap, age, or political affiliation. Prior civil litigation experience, although highly desirable, is not mandatory. We do, however, require at least one year of legal experience following admission to the Bar.

Interested applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and have at least one year post J.D. legal experience. Applicants must be an active member of the bar in good standing.

United States citizenship is required. Applicants should review D.C. Bar Opinion 210 and ascertain whether they have a conflict of interest that they need to address.

Salary: 
Several
Travel: 
There is little to no traveling required.
Application Process: 

An application package for a position with this Office should include a letter of application, resume, legal writing sample and an official law school transcript. The writing sample selected for submission should be the applicant's exclusive work product. If the writing sample was edited, or if there were other contributors, applicants are expected to identify those portions of the writing sample not exclusively their own work product and the extent of editing done by others. Applicants may also submit letters of reference from persons recommending appointment.

All applications and supporting documentation for civil AUSA applications should be mailed to:

Cynthia Parker
Paralegal to Civil Chief
United States Attorney's Office
District of Columbia
501 Third Street N.W. Room E4421
Washington, D.C. 20530

No telephone calls please. Position is open until filled, but no later than Thursday, December 31, 2015.

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, December 31, 2015
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Number of Positions: 
Multiple
Updated April 7, 2016

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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.