Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma is the principal federal prosecution authority for the eleven counties in the northeastern part of the state. The Northern District of Oklahoma has a population of approximately one million. Our office is located in Tulsa, the metropolitan area of which has approximately 75 percent of the district's population and 80 percent of the reported crime. The Civil Division currently has a staff of five attorneys, which includes the Civil Chief, and eight support staff including one contractor.
Visit the Northern District of Oklahoma website at: http://www.justice.gov/usao/districts/okn.html.
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.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
The United States Attorney is seeking an attorney to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division. The AUSA will focus on affirmative civil enforcement cases in which the United States initiates investigations and lawsuits involving fraud, waste, and abuse. In such cases, federal agencies and taxpayers are the victims. The cases are most often under the False Claims Act and can involve health care fraud, procurement fraud, contractor fraud, tort actions, and compliance with various federal regulations. These cases are often associated with parallel criminal proceedings where the Civil AUSA must coordinate with the federal investigative agencies and state and federal criminal prosecutors. Most cases involve claims involve substantial injury which must be recovered by judgment. The matters require not only initiative and creativity in directing the government's investigation of fraud claims, but also superior organizational and documentary skills. Depending on the selectee's level of experience, it is expected that this position will serve as the Affirmative Civil Enforcement and Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the district.
Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) in the Civil Division will conduct every stage in the litigation, including discovery, depositions, court appearance, and trial, all with minimal supervision. The AUSA may also be assigned bankruptcy matters and civil defensive matters including defense of claims of medical malpractice and other torts as necessary to fulfill the litigative mission of the Civil Division.
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least one year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding office and courtroom environment. Applicants must be willing and able to try jury cases in federal court and demonstrate the motivation and professionalism to become an accomplished trial attorney. Applicants should possess analytical ability to quickly identify and to clearly and accurately articulate critical issues in civil investigations or pending prosecutions. Applicants should be able to demonstrate superior oral and writing skills as well as strong legal research skills. Applicants should exhibit strong interpersonal skills, good judgment, the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with the court, other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies. Applicants should also possess computer literacy skills to include experience in automated research, electronic court filing, electronic e-mail, and word processing systems.
Applications may be submitted online through the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/376086900. The deadline to apply is July 26, 2014. If unable to apply online, the announcement provides instructions on faxing your document in the "How to Apply" tab.
If you have questions, please contact Mesa Wade, Administrative Services Specialist, at 918-382-2733 or mesa.wade@usdoj.gov.
The range of basic pay for this position, plus locality for this geographic location is currently set at $51,403.00 to $151,660.00 per annum.
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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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