Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney
Minneapolis, MN 55415 - United States
This is an open continuous announcement that is intended to continually solicit applications in order to fill immediate and future vacancies. Applications will be reviewed and referred as vacancies occur. Applications must be submitted by May 19,2026.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota serves the entire state of Minnesota, with offices located in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Criminal Division prosecutes a wide range of federal cases including violent crime, crimes committed on Indian Reservations, organized crime, narcotics fraud and public corruption, national security, and cybercrime. The Civil Division handles a variety of civil cases, including healthcare and procurement fraud, civil rights enforcement, constitutional challenges to statutes and regulations, environmental defense and enforcement, financial litigation, bankruptcy, asset forfeiture, immigration, and the defense of employment discrimination and tort claims. Assistant United States Attorneys (“AUSAs”) in both divisions litigate matters in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota and in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This position is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner.
For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers/html
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota is accepting applications for AUSA openings in our Civil Division.
The Civil Division handles a wide variety of civil cases, including healthcare and procurement fraud, civil rights enforcement, constitutional challenges to statutes and regulations, environmental defense and enforcement, financial litigation, bankruptcy, asset forfeiture, immigration, and the defense of employment discrimination and tort claims.
AUSAs in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation in the district. These AUSAs conduct pre-trial investigations and handle all aspects of civil litigation, including taking and defending depositions, propounding and answering discovery, engaging in motions practice, trying cases, negotiating settlements, drafting appellate briefs, and arguing cases before appellate court judges. AUSAs are expected to work independently and in teams with other AUSAs and federal government agencies.
The attorney selected to fill the civil vacancy will engage in a broad civil, federal litigation practice across many of the different subject matters described above in the District of Minnesota. AUSAs in the civil division manage a high-volume docket of affirmative and/or defensive cases, depending on the needs of the office, as well as the interests and experience of the particular AUSA. AUSAs will work with a broad spectrum of federal agencies, representing the interests of the United States in federal court. For many matters, AUSAs will also have the opportunity to work closely with many different divisions within the Department of Justice. Applicants are encouraged to highlight any particular area of interest in their application materials and to highlight experience in any of the areas of the law covered, though specific prior experience is not.
For all Civil Division AUSAs, responsibilities will increase, and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
We may use this posting to fill other vacant AUSA positions.
Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.”
Required Qualifications:
- You must be a United States Citizen or National,
- Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
- You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
- J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
- Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
- All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Preferred Qualifications:
Ideal candidates will have experience involving two or more of the following:
- current or prior experience as an AUSA.
- experience prosecuting complex and long-term investigations.
- experience litigating cases in federal or state courts, with substantial responsibility for all aspects of investigation, discovery, and trial.
- Have exceptional written and oral advocacy skills.
Applicants must also demonstrate the following:
- Desire to work as an AUSA in the District of Minnesota
- Commitment to excellence, strong work ethic, and drive, which may be demonstrated through successful teamwork, leadership, obstacles overcome, and personal, academic, and professional achievement. Quick analytical ability and the facility to articulate the critical issues accurately and precisely in a case. Excellent communication and courtroom skills, as well as the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and partner law enforcement agencies.
- Capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment and be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Education: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree.
Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees.
Applications are being accepted via USAJobs at: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/853327200
This is an open continuous announcement that is intended to continually solicit applications in order to fill immediate and future vacancies. Applications will be reviewed and referred as vacancies occur. Applications must be submitted by May 19,2026.
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 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 $80,609 to $195,100, which includes 27.62% locality pay.
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.