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Legal Careers

Assistant United States Attorney

Hiring Organization
USAO District of Rhode Island
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-RI-12821184-AUSA
Location:
1 Financial Plaza
17th Floor
Providence, RI 02903 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The mission of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island is to uphold federal law with fairness and integrity, ensuring the safety of all who live, work, and visit the Ocean State. The Office prosecutes federal offenses and represents the United States in civil matters before the United States District Court and appellate courts.

Job Description

The United States Attorney's Office is seeking an experienced and motivated attorney to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division, focusing on Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) matters.

ACE involves filing and litigating civil actions on behalf of the United States to recover government funds lost to fraud or misconduct and to impose penalties for violations of federal laws, including those related to health, safety, civil rights, and the environment. ACE cases often involve complex factual and legal issues and may have parallel criminal and civil components.

As an AUSA in the Civil Division, you will play a key role in enforcing federal civil laws that safeguard the public interest. You also will manage a diverse and active docket that may include cases involving personal injury, employment discrimination, immigration, prisoner litigation, environmental enforcement, and challenges to government policies or actions.

Responsibilities include:

  • Conducting civil investigations and developing cases in coordination with federal agencies.
  • Managing discovery, including written discovery, depositions, and expert witnesses.
  • Engaging in motion practice and oral argument.
  • Negotiating settlements and preparing cases for trial.
  • Trying cases in federal court and handling appeals.

Civil Division AUSAs are expected to exercise sound judgment, manage a high-volume caseload efficiently, and work collaboratively as part of a team dedicated to upholding federal law and protecting the interests of the United States.

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

Qualifications

Applicants must 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.

Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit checks, tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

United States citizenship is required.

Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof.  See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted via USAJobs at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/849701800

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

Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $83,742 to $195,100, which includes locality pay currently at 32.58%.

Number of Positions
1
Travel
Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation Expenses
Relocation expenses are not 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 November 7, 2025