Legal Careers
Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87103 - United States
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico is accepting applications for an Assistant United States Attorney in our Civil Division. The United States Attorney's Office team of Civil Assistant United States Attorneys represents the United States' interests in the United States District Court for New Mexico in affirmative and defensive litigation.
The Civil Division's affirmative case load includes enforcement of federal civil rights and environmental statutes, financial litigation on behalf of the United States, and investigating and bringing civil actions to combat fraud in the government. The Civil Division's defensive caseload is varied to includes tort, employment discrimination, administrative law, immigration, and financial and bankruptcy litigation.
The United States Attorney's Office values differences in people and in ideas and places a high priority on assembling a diverse team with varied backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Civil Division Assistant United States Attorneys are required to make impactful strategic decisions. The United States Attorney's Office believes that its team makes better, fairer, and more just decisions when its judgment is the product of a vigorous dialogue among a collaborative and diverse group of peers.
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.
The Attorney selected will serve in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Assistant United States Attorneys in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation in the District of New Mexico. They are also responsible for providing support to client agencies by providing candid and professional assessments of litigation risks. Civil AUSAs are expected to manage civil cases at all stages of litigation through appeal. Civil AUSAs are expected to work independently and make strategic litigation decisions, take depositions, prepare and answer discovery, negotiate fair and just settlements, engage in motions practice, try cases, draft appellate briefs, and argue cases before appellate court judges.
As public servants, Assistant United States Attorneys must work to earn the trust of, and inspire confidence in, the public we serve. It is our mission to treat everyone with fairness, dignity, and compassion, while providing the highest level of legal service to the American people and to be a responsible steward of the taxpayers' dollars. The Civil Division seeks to be a force for that which is right, uphold the rule of law, and make fairness, equality, and impartiality the hallmarks of its work.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as 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 one (1) year post-J.D. legal experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants must be able to independently plan and manage all aspects of their assigned cases.
The United States Attorney's Office will be looking for the following characteristics and skills:
- A quick analytical ability.
- The facility to identify and articulate critical issues.
- Superior communication skills, both orally and in writing.
- Strong research skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Sound judgment.
- The ability to work with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies, in a supportive and professional manner.
- Ability to work effectively with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding office and courtroom environment.
Civil AUSAs do their own legal research and writing and must be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day to day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants must also possess computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research, electronic court filing, electronic e-mail and word processing systems.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
To apply for this position, you must follow the instructions listed in the link below:
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/722961000
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Required - Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
- Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include month/year). date J.D. was awarded (include month/year), and date of Bar Admission (include month/year).
- Required, if applicable - A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade, and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
- Required, if applicable - To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
- Optional - A cover letter expressing your interest in the position as well as your interest in relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico, if you are not currently a resident.
- Optional- A writing sample, preferably a legal brief filed in court or an excerpt from a brief.
- Optional - Letters of recommendation
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.
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.
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.
Announcement is open May 3, 2023 through June 5, 2023.
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.
The range of basic pay is $69,777 to $182,509 which includes 17.63% locality pay.
Department Policies
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.
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. 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.
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.