Legal Careers
E-Litigation Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA)
Newark, NJ 07102 - United States
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is comprised of nearly 160 attorneys located in three 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.
The District of New Jersey (DNJ) is seeking an eLitigation Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the District to assist with management of the Office's eLitigation operations and legal processes. eLitigation proficiency amongst attorneys and staff is a top priority for DNJ, and the Office is a national leader in this area within the Department of Justice. Applicants should be experienced attorneys with significant electronic discovery practice. Duties of the eLitigation AUSA would include the following:
· Advising and collaborating internally with civil and criminal case teams on eLitigation best practices and ways to improve efficiency with respect to discovery and eLitigation;
· Assisting case teams in the preparation and production of electronic discovery;
· Working in tandem with the Office's Attorney eLitigation Coordinators and eLitigation Technologists to assist with eLitigation matters;
· Assisting case teams in conducting research, drafting legal briefs and memoranda, and/or preparing oral argument on eLitigation and eDiscovery related matters;
· Drafting, updating, streamlining, and/or implementing eLitigation policies, procedures, checklists, and go-bys for use by AUSAs, paralegals, and support staff;
· Compiling and conducting office-wide eLitigation training for new AUSAs, paralegals, and support staff regarding eLitigation policies, procedures, and law;
· Serving as liaison with DOJ's Litigation Support Center (LTSC) in Columbia, S.C. and other districts on eLitigation matters;
· Consulting with eLitigation Technologists on latest technologies and advising Office leadership on potential adoption and use of new technologies and developments;
· Advising and liaising with Office supervisors and leadership, the Court, law enforcement agencies, and Defense Bar on eLitigation matters.
Note: This is not a Trial Attorney position. The selected candidate will be an attorney advisor to case teams and will be fully dedicated to coordinating and managing the Office's eLitigation Program. The eLitigation AUSA must be located in the District of New Jersey and can work from the Newark, Trenton, and/or Camden locations (though the Newark Office is the preferred location).
Required Qualifications
Applicants for an AUSA position must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of at least one bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least three years post - J.D. legal experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with complex civil or criminal litigation and using litigation technology applications to acquire, organize, analyze and present electronic discovery and evidence is strongly preferred. Successful candidates should have a strong academic background, possess strong interpersonal skills, and have demonstrated the capacity to work effectively with a team, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. Successful candidates should also possess the knowledge, experience, and ability to use computer applications, software programs, document review platforms, and trial technologies in performing day-to-day work.
Applications will be accepted for this vacancy through September 30, 2023. Applicants for attorney positions are evaluated by the Hiring Committee on an on-going basis. Candidates selected for AUSA positions are expected to make a three-year commitment. Individuals interested in the e-Litigation AUSA position should submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to the following email address: USANJ.HRApplications@usdoj.gov.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLLOWING IS INDICATED ON THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL - "LAST NAME, FIRST NAME,ANNOUNCEMENT #NJ-23-AUSAELIT-01.
The cover letter should be addressed to:
Vikas Khanna
First Assistant US Attorney
US Attorney's Office
District of New Jersey
970 Broad Street, Suite 700
Newark, NJ 07102
Assistant United States Attorneys' pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience.The range ofbasic pay for these positions will be $59,319 to $155,155, plus locality pay.
* * *
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.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: 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.
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.
* * *
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.