Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Uncompensated)

USAO Eastern District of California
Criminal Division, Fresno Office
Attorney
2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4401
Fresno, CA 93721
United States
23-EDCA-11A
About the Office: 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California represents the Federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Eastern District of California. This includes all criminal prosecutions for violations of Federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California is headquartered in Sacramento. The District includes the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains and encompasses most of the land mass of California – from the Coastal Mountain Range to the Nevada border, and from Bakersfield in the south to the Oregon border. The Fresno Office serves the counties of Calaveras, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Inyo, and Kern.

Fresno is one of the fastest growing cities in California, due in part to its central location to major tourist areas in California. Fresno is located in the middle of the fertile San Joaquin Valley, also known as the Central Valley, which is a major supplier of food and agricultural products for the United States and the world. This area also includes national treasures such as Yosemite National Park and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks.

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 is seeking a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) in the Criminal Division, Misdemeanor Unit of the Fresno office.  The SAUSA will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal laws with an emphasis on prosecuting misdemeanor violations within the Eastern District of California. The SAUSA will receive substantial training in investigating and prosecuting federal crimes, and will have the opportunity to attend formal training or conferences with SAUSAs and Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) from districts across the country.

This is a one-year appointment without compensation. Employee benefits for this position will be limited.

Note: Employees of the Department of Justice, including uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorneys, may not engage in the compensated practice of law outside the office. Attorneys are not eligible to serve as Special Assistant United States Attorneys if they have had an employment offer deferred by a law firm and received a payment for the period of their deferral with the expectation of future employment with the law firm, or if they will receive any payment from a law firm during their unpaid employment with the Department of Justice. In addition, contractors, including employees of contractors who do business with the Department of Justice, and who also are attorneys, are not eligible to serve as uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorneys. 5 CFR 3801.106, Outside Employment, prohibits, generally Department attorneys from engaging in the compensated outside practice of law, with the exception of law professors. Attorneys in this category are employed to teach law, and are not otherwise engaged in the compensated outside practice of law.

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications:  By the time of appointment, applicants must possess a J.D. degree, and be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia. By the time of appointment, applicants must be active members in good standing of the bar (any jurisdiction).

We encourage graduating law students and recent law school graduates to apply, however, selectees must meet the required qualifications by the time of appointment with our office.  Graduating law students can apply before graduation and before passing the bar, but appointment is contingent on meeting all of the required qualifications as indicated above.  

United States Citizenship is required.

Security Requirements:  Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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.

Following appointment, SAUSAs generally must reside in the district to which they are appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. § 545 for district-specific information.

Salary: 
$0.00 (Uncompensated)
Travel: 
The position is based in Fresno. Travel will occasionally be required.
Application Process: 

Interested applicants should send a complete application package which should include a resume, cover letter, and recent writing sample via email to USACAE.AUSAHiring@usdoj.gov.  The cover letter should be addressed to: United States Attorney's Office, Attn: Phillip A. Talbert,  U.S. Attorney, 501 I Street, Suite 10-100, Sacramento, CA 95814

Resumes should include a detailed description of employment history, to include dates of employment (month/year).  This announcement is open until filled but no later than Friday, April 14, 2023.  Applications must be received by email (USACAE.AUSAHiring@usdoj.gov) no later than 11:59pm Pacific Time on the closing date to be considered.   Please include the vacancy announcement number listed at the top of this announcement (23-EDCA-11A) on your resume and cover letter.

Applications must be received via the email address indicated above and applications received by mail will not be accepted. 

No telephone calls please.

This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html  and http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae.

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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Application Deadline: 
Friday, April 14, 2023
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
2 (Additional positions may be added as needed)
Updated March 3, 2023

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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.   

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.

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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.