Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)
Hammond, IN 46320 - United States
Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, provide Federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. We strive to build a stronger office through recruitment efforts and maintain the high standards of the office by promoting professional development. We seek to build a legacy of excellence.
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.
The United States Attorney's Office is the chief law enforcement office in the district and is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Indiana. This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The district has three offices located in Hammond, Fort Wayne, and South Bend. Please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin.
For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.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.
This position is located in Hammond Indiana.
Hammond, Indiana is centrally located in the Northwest Indiana region. With a thriving population and minutes away from Chicago, Northwest Indiana offers low-cost, high-quality living while offering highly competitive salaries at the Chicago locality rate. The proximity of Chicago also offers its art and cultural institutions, world-class entertainment, and dining. The area boasts a variety of living options - from urban living and suburbs to small towns and rural communities. Northwest Indiana is also home to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park and the Indiana Dunes State Park - both offering trails, camping and beaches along Lake Michigan.
For more information about the area, visit www.nwiforum.org
For more information about the state of Indiana, visit www.visitindiana.com.
The office currently is soliciting applications for one Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) position within the Civil Division of the Northern District of Indiana. AUSAs in the Civil Division work with other state and federal agencies representing the United States with respect to civil matters in both affirmative and defensive litigation.
The successful candidate will be responsible for legal research and writing, case development, case presentation, case resolution including settlement negotiations and mediation, and a variety of program responsibilities. The attorney selected will be responsible for a wide variety of civil matters including but not limited to: defensive litigation such as personal injury and other general torts, civil rights, constitutional torts, prisoner petitions, program litigation, immigration, employment discrimination, medical malpractice, environmental protection, asset forfeiture, financial litigation, Social Security, bankruptcy, and other matters.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Salary Information: 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 $62,107.00 to $145,725.00 plus locality pay. To view the current Administratively Determined Pay Scale, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao/career-center/salary-information/administratively-determined-pay-plan-charts.
Locality Pay: This form of pay is added to basic pay and is determined based on the location of the assigned duty station. For Hammond, Indiana, this is set at a rate of 30.41%.
Incentive Pay: May be considered for superiorly qualified applicants and in accordance with 5 CFR Part 575.
Relocation Expenses: Permanent Change in Station (PCS) Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part:
- Paid vacation
- Sick Leave
- 11 paid holidays
- 12-weeks of Paid Parental Leave
- Reasonable Accommodations
- Health Insurance Benefits
- Dental and Vision benefits
- Flexible Spending Accounts for Healthcare and Dependent Care
- Federal Retirement Pension (Federal Employees Retirement System)
- Thrift Savings Plan (401k) with up to 5% employer matching
- Life Insurance
- Long-term care Insurance
Other Benefits: In addition to the above benefits, we also offer:
- Telework
- Flexible Work Schedules
- Compressed Work Schedules
- Student Loan Forgiveness
- Performance Awards & Bonuses
- Employee Assistance Programs
The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees. For more information visit OPM's site for Federal Employee Compensation Package.
Conditions of Employment
To be eligible for this position, you must meet the following requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship: You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- 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 for additional information.
- 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.
- Licensure Requirement: You must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction). You will be required to maintain an active bar membership in "good standing" in order to retain employment.
- 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 specific information.
All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis.
You must apply online and submit a complete application by the closing date of this announcement in order to be considered for this position (See Required Documents Section of this announcement).
All applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement (See Qualifications Section of this announcement).
As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least ONE (1) year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications: Ideal qualifications include 3 or more years of post-J.D. experience litigating cases in federal or state courts, with substantial responsibility for all aspects of motions practice, discovery, and trial in civil matters. The ideal candidate also will have substantial experience handling complex negotiations, including mediation.
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 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 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 pleadings. Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e-mail and word processing systems.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree from an accredited law school in the United States or U.S. Territories.
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criterion, see www.ed.gov.
***You must apply online at: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/774358600***
You must provide a complete Application Package by the closing date of this announcement, which includes the following documents:
- Occupational Questionnaire (Required) - This is completed automatically during the "Apply Online" process. Your responses from the online questionnaire while be used to help determine your eligibility to apply, identify any preferences or special considerations for employment, and if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position.
- Resume (Required) (should not exceed 5 pages) - Must show relevant experience with names/locations of employers, position titles, dates of employment, and duties performed; education history that lists the names/locations of the academic institutions attended, degrees acquired with graduation dates, G.P.A.; and any bar association memberships with dates of admittance and expiration. All dates listed should include at least the month and year (MM/YYYY).
- Cover Letter (Required) (should not exceed 2 pages) - Should be tailored to the position that you are applying for and clearly summarize any specific qualifications and/or achievements that make you a preferred candidate for the position.
- Legal Writing Sample (Required) (should not exceed 25 pages) - Must clearly convey your ability to develop and compose a legal document. Examples may include legal briefs, pleadings, original motions, or other legal writings for scholarly publications.
- Proof of Active Bar Membership (Required) - Any documentation that demonstrates that you are an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and in good standing at the time of your application.
- Veterans Preference Documentation (Optional, if applicable) - To receive Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
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 emailed documents will be accepted.
The range of basic pay is $62,107.00 to $145,725.00 plus locality pay. For Hammond, Indiana, this is set at a rate of 30.41%.
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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.