Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA)

USAO District of Utah
Salt Lake City
Attorney
111 South Main Street
#1800
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
United States
22-UT-04
About the Office: 

The United States Attorney for the District of Utah is responsible for prosecuting all federal crimes committed within the district, including acts of terrorism, white-collar crime, organized crime, criminal gang activities, internet-related crimes, drug offenses and other criminal acts. The Office also defends the United States, its agencies, officers, and employees in civil actions; enforces the regulatory authority of federal agencies, and recovers funds from individuals who violate criminal, civil and regulatory laws. The Office is divided into two divisions: the Criminal Division and Civil Division.

Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from individuals from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and persons with disabilities.

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 U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking two experienced attorneys to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) positions in the Criminal and Appellate Divisions of its Salt Lake City office. AUSAs in the Criminal Division advise federal law enforcement agents on criminal investigations, present criminal cases to the grand jury, prepare and argue a broad range of motions, try criminal cases before the United States District court, and may handle appeals to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. AUSAs in the Appellate Division handle appeals (brief writing, post-conviction litigation, and argument), review appellate briefs written by other AUSAs, report and make appeal recommendations on adverse decisions, and provide expertise and assistance for significant legal issues that may arise in district court.  Candidates should be capable of handling a variety of significant and complex criminal prosecutions, including white collar and economic crime, violent crime, narcotics and immigration.

All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Temporary appointments may, or may not, be extended or converted to permanent without further competition.

Qualifications: 

Applicants must have a J.D. degree, must be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 4 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. *Note: The required number of years of experience can be increased. Ideal qualifications include at least 7 or more years of post J.D. litigation experience. The attorney selected to fill the vacant position must also be willing to become an active member of the Utah State Bar and the bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah within twelve months of appointment.

Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case.  Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and writing skills as well as strong research and interpersonal skills, and good judgment.  Applicants must possess 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.  Applicants must have a demonstrative capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment.

Salary: 
Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience and availability of funds. The range of basic pay is $56,983 - $149,044 plus locality pay where authorized.
Travel: 
Occasional travel may be required.
Application Process: 

Please submit resume and cover letter (referencing Vacancy No. 22-UT-04) via email to mardi.al-samarai@usdoj.gov (preferred method). Alternate option would be to mail to the United States Attorney’s Office, Attn: Mardi AlSamarai, 111 South Main Street #1800, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-2176. 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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

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, July 22, 2022
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation Expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
2
Updated July 15, 2022

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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.   

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.