Legal Careers
Special Assistant United States Attorney (Uncompensated)
San Jose, CA 95113 - United States
The Northern District of California is one of the largest U.S. Attorney's Offices in the country with 138 attorneys located in the three-staffed offices: San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. The Office prosecutes federal crimes, defends, and pursues the interest of the United States in civil cases. The office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving violations of federal law, civil lawsuits against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution of behalf of victims and taxpayers.
The district stretches from the Monterey Coast to California's northern border with Oregon, and from the Pacific Ocean nearly to Sacramento in the East. Nearly 9 million people live, work, and raise their families in the Northern District of California. The District's main office is in San Francisco with branch offices in Oakland and San Jose, CA.
This position is located in San Jose, California.
An appointment with the U.S. Attorney's Office offers unique and challenging experiences for the highly motivated attorney. Working in the Criminal Division, San Jose Branch, the Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) will be primarily responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor cases arising out of the federal enclaves located in Santa Clara and Monterey Counties. The SAUSA will also be given the opportunity to work with other federal prosecutors on felony criminal cases, including those involving violations of immigration, firearms, and/or narcotics statutes. The SAUSA's duties will entail assisting with the progression of these cases at various stages, from the initiation of federal investigation or charges, to disposition and sentencing. The SAUSA will gain experience participating in various in-court proceedings such as guilty pleas, motions hearings, and jury trial.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
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. judicial legal or other relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications: Preferred applicants will possess superior oral and written communications skills, strong interpersonal skills; and the capacity to function in a highly demanding environment with minimal guidance. Additionally, it is desired that the successful candidate have a strong academic credential and at least two years of post-J.D. judicial legal experience.
If you currently represent an opposing party in litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice or represent a client under investigation by the U.S., please refer to Rule 1-7 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct and / or the relevant conflict of interest Rules of Professional Conduct in the jurisdiction in which you are licensed to practice. The U.S. Attorney's Office considers California Rule 1-7 to be implicated when an attorney licensed in California applies for a position with the U.S. Attorney's office while also representing a client in litigation opposing the U.S. or knowingly under investigation by the U.S.
United States citizenship is required.
Travel: Occasional travel may be required.
Type of Position: This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 1 year. This position may be extended without further competition.
Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.
The Residency Requirement ensures an adequate background investigation can be completed. It applies to all DOJ applicants, both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, whose job location is within the U.S. In addition, for a total of three years (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: 1) resided in the U.S.; 2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or, 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving overseas.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Please apply directly on USAjobs.gov - https://www.usajobs.gov/job/833743100
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.
This is a uncompensated position.
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.