Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney - Public Corruption and Civil Rights
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is unique in the size and the scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. On the federal side, cases prosecuted by AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division include, but are not limited to, drug trafficking; violent crime and firearm possession; cybercrimes; fraud and public corruption; and national security.
This position is located in Washington, D.C.
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.
The Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section (PCR) is devoted to protecting the integrity of local and federal government, securing the rights afforded by the Constitution and federal law, and promoting public confidence in government by prosecuting criminal abuses of public trust. PCR investigates public corruption offenses, such as bribery of local and federal officials; willful conflicts of interest; theft of government funds; election crimes; and efforts to obstruct or interfere with the lawful functioning of Congress, the Judiciary, and Executive Branch. PCR is equally committed to investigating civil rights offenses, such as crimes based on protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identify, and disability; excessive force by law enforcement; and other color of law violations. PCR routinely works on sensitive investigations with other sections within the U.S. Attorney's Office's Criminal Division and with Department of Justice litigating components such as the Public Integrity Section and Civil Rights Division. PCR receives referrals from federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and Inspector General community, and local law enforcement agencies such as the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General and Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division.
Successful applicants to the PCR Section must have at least three years of prosecutorial experience. PCR Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) must be strong writers, diligent investigators, and skilled oral advocates and trial attorneys. They must be willing and able to work collaboratively; possess the energy, enthusiasm, and aptitude to manage sensitive and complex long-term investigations; and have the desire to take on exceedingly difficult cases. Federal prosecution experience, along with experience investigating and prosecuting civil rights, public corruption, and/or election offenses is preferred.
Specifically, AUSAs in PCR are expected to, among other responsibilities:
- Manage long-term criminal investigations, including investigations involving partners from the U.S. Department of Justice and multiple law enforcement agencies;
- Develop and maintain subject-matter expertise in an area specific to PCR's practice, such as public corruption and criminal conflicts of interest, election law, civil rights and hate crimes, Garrity and Kastigar, or other such areas of law;
- Prepare thorough written memoranda summarizing investigative findings and recommending the declination or initiation of criminal prosecutions;
- Participate in the scrutiny and review of colleagues' charging recommendations and litigation strategy through indictment review conferences and trial motions;
- Carefully screen matters for investigation and exercise sound judgment, in accordance with Office policy and applicable Department guidelines, over whether to initiate investigations and prosecutions;
- Timely draft and obtain applicable legal process, including subpoenas, search warrants, pen trap orders, Title III authority, and indictments;
- Conduct grand jury investigations and presentations, including investigations and presentation involving a high volume of documentary evidence;
- Oversee and manage substantial discovery productions in accordance with applicable District expectations and national best practices;
- Represent the United States in all stages of criminal litigation, including arrest and indictment, pre-trial motions, trial, and post-trial and collateral proceedings;
- Conduct lengthy, complex trials involving a high volume of documentary evidence; and
- Routinely report to and consult with supervisors in PCR and the Criminal Division.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions for the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the Criminal Division.
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 experience.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
A four-year commitment is required.
Preferred Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have outstanding legal ability, high morale character, mature judgment, a keen desire for public service, and an exceptional aptitude for litigation, including significant white-collar investigative and trial experience.
Read more about the Assistant U.S. Attorney position in the Criminal Division, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/579290600.
Selections are made of the most highly qualified attorneys who apply, without regard to race, sex, religion, creed, color, national origin, handicap, age, marital status, gender identify, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Significant prior criminal and/or civil ligation experience is preferred.
Our office places a high value on diversity of experience and perspectives and encourages applications from all qualified men and women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBT individuals, and person with disabilities.
Applicants should review D.C. Bar Opinion 210 and ascertain whether they have a conflict of interest that they need to address.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/25/2020 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact District of Columbia at 202-252-7281 or email at joseph.cooney@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
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 range of basic pay is $77,392 to $170,700, which includes 30.48% locality pay.
Department Policies
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.
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. 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.
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.