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Employment

 Employment Opportunities for: Attorneys | Students | Support Staff

Assistant United States Attorneys

  • Vacancy announcements to be posted soon.

Special Assistant United States Attorneys

Law Student Volunteers

Support Staff

 

Office of Personnel Management
Opportunities For Lawyers

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California recruits for Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) or uncompensated Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) positions in the Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakersfield offices as vacancies occur.  Vacancy announcements for these positions are posted on our webpage as well as the Department of Justice's webpage.

Interested candidates must have a J.D. Degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a state, territory, or the District of Columbia, have a minimum of one year of post J.D. experience, and possess excellent academic credentials. Trial experience is a plus. Salary for AUSA positions is commensurate with experience. Candidates interested in applying for specific attorney vacancies must submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample for each posted vacancy announcement for which they would like consideration. Resumes should be emailed to USACAE.AUSAHiring@usdoj.gov.  The cover letter should be addressed to: Phillip Talbert, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office, 501 I Street, Suite 10-100, Sacramento, CA 95814. No telephone inquiries please.

Employment for all positions is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation by the Department of Justice. This is a thorough investigation that includes checks with present and former employers, military records and credit bureaus. The investigation also includes verification of tax filings and attendance at institutions of higher learning. Those who are selected are subject to drug testing by urinalysis. United States Citizenship is required.

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.

Attorneys who are interested in employment in any other district, or at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., should directly contact the appropriate office. For further information, contact www.usdoj.gov/oarm, or:

Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management
U.S. Department of Justice
Room 7254, Main Building
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
(202) 514-3396 (24-hour Recorded Information)

Opportunities for Students

The Eastern District of California also offers several student employment opportunities through the Pathways Program and Student Volunteer Program as follows:

Internship Program (Pathways Program):

The Internship Program is designed to provide students enrolled in a variety of educational institutions with opportunities to work in agencies and explore federal careers while still in school and while getting paid for work performed. To be eligible for the Pathways Internship Program the applicant must be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled and seeking a degree (undergraduate, graduate, diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis. Students may be employed year round and work schedules are flexible to accommodate school schedules. During the school year, students should work between 16-20 hours per week; however, during school breaks students may work up to 40 hours per week. Students in this program are placed in excepted appointments and are eligible to earn annual and sick leave. Vacancy announcements for the Intern Program will be posted on our website and may also be posted on the following website: www.usajobs.gov. Applicants must follow individual vacancy announcement instructions in order to be considered for the position.

Volunteer Opportunities for Students:

The United States Attorney’s Office offers volunteer opportunities for high school, college and law school students enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a degree program (e.g. diploma, certificate, undergraduate, graduate, etc.) at a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis. These training opportunities provide work experience related to the student's academic program. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited high school, technical or vocational school, a 2-year or 4-year college or university, or a graduate or professional school to participate in this program. Positions include Law Clerk, Victim/Witness Assistance Volunteer, and Volunteer Student (Legal and Administrative Divisions).

Law Clerk positions allow students to gain experience in the Criminal or Civil Divisions, researching issues, writing memoranda of findings, briefs, motions, and by observing federal court proceedings. Applicants must have completed the first semester of his or her first year of law school to be eligible.

The Victim Witness Assistance Volunteer Program allows students to assist clients who are involved in the federal criminal justice system as a victim or a witness. Students will assist the Victim Witness Program Coordinator in identifying victims in federal criminal cases and provide services to these victims. Students will gain knowledge of the jurisdiction, uniqueness, and complications of the federal criminal justice system.

Volunteer Students in the Legal or Administrative Divisions perform various clerical duties assisting the Civil and/or Criminal Support Staff (legal assistants and paralegals), or Administrative Division Staff (Human Resources, Budget, Information Technology, and Support Services). Volunteer positions typically last one semester, but may be extended.

Applications for Law Clerk positions should be submitted by January 15th for summer positions. Individuals interested in Law Clerk positions in the Sacramento Office should submit resumes to USACAE.AUSAHiring@usdoj.gov. Resumes should be addressed to the attention of one of following individuals, depending on the location (Sacramento or Fresno) and Division (Criminal or Civil) the applicant is interested in:

Chris Hales - Criminal Division (Sacramento) - (916) 554-2700
Chi Soo Kim - Civil Division (Sacramento) - (916) 554-2700
Jeff Spivak - Criminal Division (Fresno) - (559) 497-4000
Benjamin Hall - Civil Division (Fresno) - (559) 497-4000

Applications for Victim Witness Assistance positions should be submitted to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Attention: Michele Beckwith, 501 I Street, Suite 10-100, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Applications for the position of Volunteer Student (Legal and Administrative Divisions) should be submitted to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Attention: Laurie Pablo, 501 I Street, Suite 10-100, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Students should include a cover letter indicating the program, position, and location he or she is interested in, in addition to a recent transcript (if available).

For additional information, please contact Laurie Pablo, Human Resources Officer, at: (916) 554-2707.

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.

Opportunities for Support Staff

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California accepts applications for employment in non-attorney positions as posted by specific job vacancy announcements or public notices. The most common non-attorney positions are Legal Assistants, Paralegal Specialists, and other support positions. Other administrative and technical positions, such as Investigator, Auditor, and Analyst occasionally become available.

Applications for support staff vacancies will only be accepted during the period of the time listed in the posted vacancy announcement. Support staff vacancy announcements will be posted on the following website: www.usajobs.gov as well as our office website. Interested applicants should read the entire vacancy announcement that is posted to learn about the position and for instructions on how to apply. The application process is completed on-line and specific instructions are provided in each announcement.

Employment for all positions is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation by the Department of Justice. This is a thorough investigation that includes checks with present and former employers, military records and credit bureaus. The investigation also includes verification of tax filings and attendance at institutions of higher learning. Those who are selected are subject to drug testing by urinalysis. United States Citizenship is required.

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.

Qualification requirements for support positions vary and will be specified in each vacancy announcement.

For additional information please contact Laurie Pablo, Human Resources Officer, (916) 554-2707.

Updated March 4, 2024