Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal Division)
Pittsburgh, PA 15219 - United States
If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a diverse and talented workforce of over 100,000 people, the mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania (USAO-PAW) is an energetic and collegial office of 120 employees and contractors dedicated to protecting the community, pursuing justice on behalf of crime victims, defending the United States interests, affirmatively pursuing claims on behalf of the government, and representing the United States in all criminal prosecutions, and civil and appellate litigation in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Western District of Pennsylvania consists of 25 counties in the western part of the state with offices in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown. The USAO-PAW strives to provide an inclusive, rewarding work environment for employees of all backgrounds. Additional information about the District can be found on our website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa.
The United States Attorney's Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is seeking an Assistant United States (U.S.) Attorney for its Criminal Division. The Assistant U.S. Attorney will have responsibility to investigate and prosecute federal crimes, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, crimes of violence, child exploitation and human trafficking, national security and cybercrimes, money laundering, corporate fraud, and healthcare fraud. The Assistant U.S. Attorney will be expected to respond to reactive calls, on occasion, outside of traditional business hours. The Assistant U.S. Attorney may also be tasked with targeted outreach to communities and strategic partners throughout Western Pennsylvania as a part of the effort to improve victim reporting, crime prevention, offender reentry, and reduction narcotics overdoses.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
As needed, additional vacancies 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 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
United States citizenship is required.
You must meet all the above qualifications as of the closing date of this announcement.
Preferred Qualifications:
The Office seeks attorneys who have outstanding legal ability, high moral character, mature judgment, and demonstrated excellence in handling court proceedings. The ideal candidate will possess superior oral and written communication skills as well as strong interpersonal skills, exhibit superior judgment, and be able to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment while balancing a high case load, which often requires night and weekend work.
Experience litigating criminal cases in federal or state court is desirable. Preferred qualifications include at least three to eight years of post-J.D. litigation experience, including experience handling a variety of complex criminal matters, first-chair federal trial experience, strong academics, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, and a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Additionally, a quick analytical ability and the facility to articulate the critical issues accurately and precisely in a case is preferred. Excellent computer literacy skills are also preferred.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications posted in the vacancy announcement. Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all requirements and qualifications. You will be notified if selected for an interview, and after making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/Security background investigation for the candidate selected. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days from the closing date of the announcement. Once a final selection is made, notification will be sent to applicants.
Documents should be addressed to First Assistant United States Attorney, Troy Rivetti.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) December 12, 2025 on USAJobs to receive consideration. Applications will only be accepted through the USAJobs system at USAJOBS - Job Announcement. Resumes will not be accepted by email, fax, or regular mail.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Required: your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (online at USAJobs).
Required: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include month/year), AND the Location and Month/Year of your J.D. Degree, AND the Jurisdiction Month/Year of your bar exam.
Required: Proof of active bar membership under the laws of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. This could be a copy of a bar card, certificate of good standing, or screenshot of the appropriate bar or disciplinary board website showing active status and dates.
Required (if applicable): To receive veterans’ preference consideration, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire, and you must submit the appropriate complete supporting documentation (DD-214, Veterans Administration Letter, etc.) as outlined in the veterans’ preference section. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
Optional but encouraged: Cover letter. Documents should be addressed to the First Assistant U.S. Attorney as outlined above.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. You can find this announcement at USAJOBS - Job Announcement.
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The pay range is $76,446 to $195,200 which includes 21.03% locality pay.
Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees.
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.