Uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorney

USAO Southern District of Ohio
Attorney
Ohio, OH
United States
About the Office: 

The mission of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States. The Southern District of Ohio has offices located in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, OH.  We serve over 5 million citizens in the southern 48 counties of the state. In all matters, we endeavor to represent the people of the Unites States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness of the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest degree of integrity.

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's Office for the Southern District of Ohio is seeking an exceptional, experienced attorney to join our team as an uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA).  The SAUSA will enhance the office's capacity to investigate and prosecute a variety of federal crimes.

Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing and will be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with e-discovery and e-litigation platforms, electronic court filing, and e-mail and word processing systems.

This position is temporary, and uncompensated, with appointments not to exceed 5 years. This position may be extended without further competition.

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.    

As needed, additional vacancies may be filled using this announcement. This announcement is open continuous and applications will be pulled periodically to fill any open vacancies.

Qualifications: 

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction). United States citizenship is required. You must be registered for selective service, if applicable.

Salary: 
None. This is an uncompensated position. Employee benefits for this position will be limited.
Travel: 
Occasional travel, both within and outside the district, may be required.
Application Process: 

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications posted in the vacancy announcement. Once your application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all requirements and qualifications. You will be notified if selected for an interview. If a tentative job offer is extended and accepted, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation for the selected candidate(s). The background investigation process includes, among other things, the review and approval of your completed security form, fingerprinting, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to favorable adjudication of the background investigation.

Applications for this position will be accepted via email to Rebecca.Walton@usdoj.gov. The subject line should read: Application for Uncompensated SAUSA (Lastname, Firstname). Complete application packages include:

1. Your statement verifying U.S. citizenship.

2. Your Resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (month/year), date J.D. was awarded (month/year), and date of bar admission (month/year).

3. Proof of active bar membership under the laws of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. Acceptable documentation include a copy of a bar certifiation card, certificate of good standing, or screenshot of the appropriate bar or disciplinary board website showing active status and dates.

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.

Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Number of Positions: 
1 or more
Updated August 25, 2023

*         *         *

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.

*         *         *

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.