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Legal Careers

Assistant United States Attorney

Hiring Organization
USAO Western District of Missouri
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
25-MOW-12809490-AUSA
Location:
400 East 9th Street, Suite 5510
Kansas City, MO 64106 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The Western District of Missouri is considered a large district, with 72 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and numerous Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys.  The district comprises 66 of Missouri’s 114 counties, contains 40,251 square miles, and has a population of approximately 3.2 million people based upon the 2020 Census information.  Included in the district are the metropolitan areas of Kansas City, St. Joseph, Columbia, Jefferson City, Springfield, and Joplin.  The District has three staffed offices:  Kansas City, Springfield, and Jefferson City.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes federal criminal offenses and represents the U.S. government’s interest in civil cases, both affirmatively and defensively.  The Criminal Division investigates and prosecutes federal cases arising from a wide array of criminal activity.  The Civil Division affirmatively litigates cases involving the False Claims Act and other statutes and defends the United States and its agencies and employees in a wide range of civil actions.

Job Description

The Western District of Missouri is currently accepting applications for one Assistant United States Attorney to be assigned to the Criminal Division in the Jefferson City Office.  As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed.  See 28 USC Section 545 for district-specific information.

All initial attorney appointments to the U.S. Attorney’s Office are made on a time-limited (temporary) basis.  Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent without further competition.

Qualifications

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

Preferred qualifications:  Applicants must have excellent academic credentials, significant litigation experience, strong oral advocacy and legal writing skills, sound judgment, and a demonstrated commitment to public service.

United States citizenship is required.

Application Process

To apply, interested applicants submit a cover letter, resume (not to exceed two pages), and writing sample via USAJobs at:  https://www.usajobs.gov/job/847118600

Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on October 21, 2025.

No telephone calls please.

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.

Salary

An Assistant U.S. Attorney’s pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience.  The starting range of basic pay is $73,939 to $173,485 which includes locality pay.

Number of Positions
1
Travel
Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation Expenses
Relocation expenses will not be 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.

Updated September 30, 2025