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Legal Careers

SUPERVISORY ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

Hiring Organization
USAO District of Massachusetts
Job ID
16-MA-AUSA-05
Location:
1 Courthouse Way
Suite 9200
Boston, MA 01702 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

On a regular and recurring basis, this office fills the Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) positions that it has been allotted.  These temporary, at will positions, make up the management team of the office, under the control, supervision and direction of the United States Attorney.  AUSAs selected for these supervisory positions will be responsible for exercising dynamic leadership and efficiently and effectively managing the employees in their respective sections to accomplish the mission of the Department and the specific goals of this office, as set forth by the United States Attorney. 

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

This position is for the chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts. The Civil Division represents the United States and its departments, agencies, and employees at both the trial and appellate levels in civil actions filed in Massachusetts. There are approximately 23 Assistant United States Attorneys in the Civil Division, including one attorney in the U.S. Attorney's office in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Civil Division handles five major types of cases: affirmative civil enforcement including civil rights enforcement; defensive litigation; asset forfeiture; bankruptcy; and debt collection. In addition to supervising the work of the Civil Division, the Chief of the Civil Division participates in the office’s senior management team.  Therefore, there may be additional duties and responsibilities that will be further specified by the United States Attorney or First Assistant United States Attorney.

Those applicants selected for a supervisory position for the first time within the Department of Justice will be required to attend the Justice Leadership Institute or a Legal Issues for Managers Seminar. 

All Supervisory AUSA appointments are temporary, at-will positions.

Position may require a Top Secret clearance. 

Qualifications

Required qualifications:  Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 10 years post-J.D. experience.

Preferred qualifications:  Prior management experience is preferred. Applicants should be able to demonstrate by experience, knowledge, or training, that they have an understanding of leadership and managerial skills. Civil experience preferred, but not required.

Application Process

To apply, please submit materials which summarize their qualifications for the position.  Materials may include a cover letter, resume, and writing sample and forward to:

John T. McNeil

First Assistant U.S. Attorney

U.S. Attorney's Office

John Joseph Moakley Courthouse                                        

1 Courthouse Way, Suite 9200

Boston, MA 02210

Salary

The range of pay is $121,832 to $160,111, plus locality for the Boston locality up to the maximum salary of $160,200

Number of Positions
1
Relocation Expenses
Relocation expenses will not be paid.

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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.

Updated April 25, 2016