Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney
Rm 253
Anchorage, AK 99513 - United States
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 23 Assistant United States Attorneys who prosecute federal crimes and defend and pursue the interests of the United States in civil cases.
This position is located in Anchorage, Alaska.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska is seeking applications from experienced and motivated 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 in national priority areas including violent crime, fentanyl trafficking, gang/cartel related crimes, and illegal firearms offenses. 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, including child exploitation, fraud, and public corruption. 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 before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The successful candidate must have the legal acumen and experience to successfully prosecute a complex organized crime or drug trafficking case or be capable of prosecuting such a case if given the appropriate training and experience. The candidate must establish a commitment to the District of Alaska. 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 be capable of being such a colleague and leader as they develop. An essential part of being this type of colleague is being a dedicated team player; someone who believes in effective teamwork.
Required qualifications: Applicants must have excellent academic credentials, a J.D. degree, an active membership in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction, minimum one (1) year 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.
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 October 22, 2025, through USAJobs at https://www.usajobs.gov/job/847122200. Packages should contain a resume, cover letter, and a list of references.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume (not to exceed two pages), cover letter, writing sample 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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Assistant U.S. Attorney pay is based upon the number of years of experience, ranging from basic pay $63,163 to $195,200 which includes locality pay. In addition there is a non-taxable cost of living allowance where authorized.
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.