Assistant United States Attorney

USAO Southern District of Texas
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas
Attorney
1000 Louisiana
Suite 2300
Houston, TX 77002
United States
16-SDTX-07 AUSA (HOU CRIM)
About the Office: 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, with approximately 190 Assistant United States Attorneys, is among the largest in the country.  The office prosecutes federal crimes and represents the interests of the United States in civil cases.  The Southern District of Texas stretches from the Houston area southwest to the Mexican border. The United States Attorney’s Office operates staffed offices in Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.

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 Southern District of Texas is recruiting to fill one anticipated vacancy for an experienced attorney to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of its Houston office.  The incumbent will investigate and prosecute violations of federal laws, primarily involving immigration, drug, and firearms offenses. 

Qualifications: 

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

Preferred Qualifications:  Hiring preferences include three (3) years of first-chair federal criminal trial experience, strong academics, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, exceptional computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, electronic e-mail and word processing systems, demonstrated analytical ability, good judgment and courtroom skills and a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service.

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

United States citizenship is required.

Salary: 
Range of basic pay for 2016 is $51,811 to $135,519 pa, plus locality where authorized. Pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience.
Travel: 
Occasional trvel may be required for training.
Application Process: 

Applications must be submitted online through the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/441440600.  The deadline to apply on-line is 11:59 p.m. (EST) on June 17, 2016.  If unable to apply on-line, the announcement provides instruction on faxing your documents in the “How to Apply” tab.

Complete applications submitted through USAJOBS will include:

Required:  Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire;

Required:  Cover letter (including the announcement number) addressed to:   Mitch Neurock, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office, 1000 Louisiana, Suite 2300, Houston, TX 77002

Required:  Resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year);

Required:  Brief writing sample (not more than 20 pages); and

Required, if applicable:  Documentation supporting claim for veterans’ preference or hiring eligibility based on disability status (see Department Policies).

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.  All application materials must be submitted via the USAJOBS website by the closing date of the announcement.  No hard copy or E-mailed documents will be accepted.

Please, no telephone calls regarding the status of an application once the announcement has closed.  

If you have questions: Feel free to contact Dell Mara Lovell, Human Resources Officer, E-mail Dell.Mara.Lovell@usdoj.gov with questions regarding the application process. 

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, June 17, 2016
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Number of Positions: 
One
Updated June 9, 2016

*         *         *

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.

*         *         *

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.