Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney
Dallas, TX 75242 - United States
The Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas is the principal federal prosecution authority for the North Texas area, with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Amarillo and Abilene. The Civil Division is charged with defending agencies of the United States, enforcing regulatory agency authority, and recovering funds from violators of U.S. criminal, regulatory, and civil laws. The Criminal Division of our office prosecutes all federal crimes in our jurisdiction, including acts of terrorism, public corruption, white-collar crime, organized crime, gang activities, internet-related crimes, and many other criminal offenses. The Appellate Division represents the United States in cases on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, responds to post-conviction litigation, and keeps the district informed of developments in the law.
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.
Assistant United States Attorneys ("AUSAs") in the Appellate Division represent the United States in cases on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. They handle all aspects of appeals from criminal cases prosecuted in the District, writing appellate briefs and presenting oral arguments on a variety of complex and novel issues involving the constitution, statutory construction, evidentiary disputes, and procedural matters. Appellate AUSAs also review draft briefs of their fellow AUSAs and participate in moot courts. In addition to defending criminal convictions from appellate challenge, Appellate AUSAs bring affirmative appeals to the Fifth Circuit from adverse district court decisions.
Aside from their work in the Fifth Circuit, Appellate AUSAs keep abreast of changes and developments in the law, providing valuable guidance to the U.S. Attorney and fellow AUSAs on significant legal issues. Additionally, the Appellate Division responds to post-conviction matters, such as motions to vacate, set aside, or correct criminal judgments and sentences. Finally, Appellate AUSAs consult with the Solicitor General's Office and the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice regarding potential government appeals, petitions for rehearing en banc, and U.S. Supreme Court litigation stemming from criminal cases in the District. One or more positions may be filled from this announcement.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 3 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. Qualifying legal experience may include work as an AUSA, a judicial law clerk in either federal or state court, and litigation experience in either the private or public sector.
Preferred qualifications: Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues involved with a case. The position requires superior oral advocacy and writing skills, as well as strong research and interpersonal skills and good judgment. Additionally, applicants must have excellent communication and courtroom skills and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies. They must have a demonstrated capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.
Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing and will be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and court filings. Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills, including experience with internet research, electronic court filing, email, and word-processing systems.
If selected, you may be required to complete a one-to-two year probationary period.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Applications must be submitted online through the following http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/389412800
The deadline to apply is January 2, 2015. If unable to apply on-line, the announcement provides instructions on faxing your documents in the "How to Apply" tab.
Assistant United States Attorneys' pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience and availability of funds. The current range of basic pay is $54,334 to $143,807.
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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.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: 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.
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.
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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.