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Legal Careers

Assistant United States Attorney (Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities) TERM NTE 9/30/2017

Hiring Organization
USAO District of New Jersey
Job ID
16-NJ-5005-RMBS
Location:
970 Broad Street, Suite 700
Newark, NJ 07102 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is an energetic District comprised of 140 attorneys located in three staff offices: Newark, Trenton and Camden. The USAO has jurisdiction and responsibility over a broad range of subject matter areas, all of which involve advancing the multi-varied criminal and civil legal interests of the Federal government. The office values diversity and seeks to provide an inclusive rewarding work environment for employees of all backgrounds.

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 District of New Jersey is seeking applications for an Assistant United States Attorney term position to serve in the Civil Division and work with the Affirmative Civil Financial Fraud Enforcement unit. The attorney will be part of a fraud-fighting team that will investigate financial institution fraud, including misconduct in the packaging, selling and valuation of residential mortgage-backed securities in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis. The attorney will have responsibility for handling all aspects of civil investigations and cases, including preparing subpoenas, reviewing documents, taking testimony, writing briefs, and appearing in hearings and trials in court. The attorney must have a very strong ability to analyze complex legal and factual issues, write clearly and persuasively, possess a strong work ethic, exhibit good organizational skills, exercise fair and sound judgment, pay careful attention to facts and details, follow all Department of Justice and United States Attorney's Office policies, work well both independently and on a team, be ready and willing to volunteer to help other attorneys, be able to negotiate effectively with opposing counsel, handle matters in court persuasively on behalf of the United States of America, and be devoted to justice and excellence.

The position is for a term not to exceed September 30, 2017. The position may be extended or made permanent without further competition.

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 three (3) years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications: Excellent writing, speaking and analytical skills; strong work ethic, character, dedication and interest in public service; interest in handling a wide variety of challenging cases on behalf of the United States of America; and the ability to work well both independently and on teams with others on complex cases are highly desired. United States Citizenship required.

The following qualifications for this position are desirable but not essential: a strong background in securities litigation, preferably with experience in structured and other complex financial products and transactions, including representing clients in criminal white collar matters, private civil litigation, SEC enforcement actions, or internal investigations.

Application Process

Individuals interested in applying for this term Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Assistant United States Attorney position should either fax or email their resume and cover letter by 5:00 pm on December 11, 2015 to:

Edna Syjongtian
Human Resources Officer
Fax: 973-297-2072
Email: USANJ.HRApplications@usdoj.gov

If you have already applied for an AUSA position with the District of New Jersey, and you would like to be considered for this term Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Assistant United States Attorney position, please do not reapply, but rather send an email stating your interest and highlighting your relevant experience.

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.

Salary

The range of basic pay is $45,477 to $134,177, plus locality pay where authorized. The current locality adjustment to the base pay for Newark, New Jersey is 28.72%.

Number of Positions
1
Travel
There will be occasional travel within and outside the District.
Relocation Expenses
Relocation expenses will not be paid.

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.

Updated April 7, 2016