Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney - Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is unique in the size and scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. On the local side, cases prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) assigned to the Superior Court Division range from misdemeanor offenses to homicides. On the federal side, cases prosecuted by AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division include, but are not limited to, drug trafficking; violent crime and firearms offenses; cybercrimes; fraud and public corruption; civil rights; and terrorism. In both roles, the Office is committed to being responsive and accountable to the citizens of the District of Columbia. The Office's Civil Division further enforces the law and defends the interests of the United States in civil suits brought in the District of Columbia.
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 Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is seeking one or more experienced prosecutors to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) with the experience necessary to lead complex and challenging violent crime and/or narcotics trafficking investigations and serve as first-chair in trials arising from those investigations. The mission of the Section is to investigate and prosecute criminal activity involving violence and narcotics trafficking, including wiretap investigations, international drug cartel investigations, gang investigations, and matters involving VICAR, RICO, and conspiracy statutes. These investigations involved both local law enforcement agencies such as the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as federal law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Capitol Police, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Treasury Department.
AUSAs in the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section are expected to:
- Have extensive background and experience handling complex violent crime investigations, including RICO and/or VICAR;
- Have extensive background and experience in utilizing court-ordered wiretaps;
- Have experience leading long-term investigations, including consulting with and advising law enforcement;
- Have extensive trial experience;
- Have a broad understanding of the applicable federal criminal statutes;
- Have thorough knowledge and understanding of charging decisions in criminal matters in compliance with Department of Justice policies;
- Be able to effectively organize and manage documents and evidence for grand jury and trial presentation;
- Be knowledgeable about the grand jury process;
- Be proficient in drafting legal documents in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner;
- Have the ability to work with other AUSAs and support staff in a professional and collegial manner;
- Understand the ethical requirements of an AUSA;
- Be able to handle all types of court matters, including jury trials, at times on short notice;
- Be proficient in the government's discovery and Brady obligations;
- Be effective and prompt in updating supervisors on matters assigned;
- Be able to effectively negotiate with defense counsel;
- Be proficient in handling post-conviction matters such as motions for new trials and resentencing matters.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions for the Criminal Division, Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
To find out more about this position, go to https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/632984200
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 at least three years of experience; outstanding legal ability, high morale character, mature judgment, a keen desire for public service, and an exceptional aptitude for litigation, including significant federal violent crime or drug trafficking investigative and trial experience.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and law enforcement partners;
- Experience with a broad range of investigation tools, including but not limited to subpoenas, search warrants and wiretaps.
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 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.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Required - Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
- Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year). (cover letter optional).
- Required, if applicable - A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade, and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
- Required, if applicable - To get 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.
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 Dineen Baker at 202-252-6954 or email at Dineen.Baker@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of pay is $80,528 to $176,200 which includes 31.53% 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.