Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

USAO Eastern District of North Carolina
United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina
Attorney
Raleigh, NC 27601
United States
18-NCE-10243955-AUSA
About the Office: 

The mission of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is to pursue justice as we represent the United States of America in civil and criminal litigation in the most effective and efficient manner possible; to provide leadership in our interaction with all federal, state and local agencies and to serve as a liaison between them; and to foster public trust and confidence in law enforcement and the federal judicial system.


The Eastern District of North Carolina covers the 44 eastern most counties of North Carolina. The main office is in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a staffed branch office in Greenville and unstaffed offices in Wilmington, New Bern, Elizabeth City, and Fayetteville. This position will be located in the main office in Raleigh.

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 United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is currently seeking highly qualified Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) candidates for the Civil Division. The selected applicant will have the opportunity to perform an important public service by representing the interests of the United States of America in civil actions brought by or against the United States. The responsibilities of this position may include researching legal issues, drafting motions and legal memoranda, drafting and responding to discovery requests, document review and organization, taking or defending depositions, and representing the United States as primary and/or secondary counsel in judicial proceedings, such as hearings, oral arguments, and trials, in various United States Court of Appeals, United States District Court, United States Bankruptcy Court and state court actions. The areas of legal practice include, but are not limited to, affirmative civil litigation (e.g. , pursuing civil actions against corporations and individuals that engage in fraud, violate federal laws, or damage federal lands or resources ), foreclosure, bankruptcy, collections, social security, Bivens actions, actions brought by individuals in federal custody, actions brought under the Freedom of Information Act, actions seeking review of administrative decisions of federal agencies, actions to defend or enforce subpoenas, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, and personal injury litigation pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 3 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:
The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest. Civil litigation experience, superior academic record, excellent writing skills, impeccable character, demonstrated interest in public service, courtroom presence, and the ability to work with and relate to a wide variety of people are all taken into account.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Salary: 
$57,012.00 to $138,790.00 per year plus 19.52% locality for the Raleigh area
Travel: 
Extensive travel throughout the Eastern District of North Carolina will be required. The AUSA will travel to attend court proceedings, interview witnesses and attend meetings. Travel is also required for training.
Application Process: 

Applications must be submitted online through the following link:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/503117300

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 6, 2018
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1 with additional positions being filled as needed
Updated June 21, 2018

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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.