Summary The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is unique in the size and the scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. AUSAs assigned to the Superior Court Division prosecute D.C. Code offenses ranging from misdemeanors to homicides. AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute a broad range of U.S. Code violations. Responsibilities The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is accepting applications for attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Office's Superior Court Division. The Superior Court Division is the largest division in the Office. It has primary responsibility for the prosecution of criminal cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and handles the highest volume of felony and misdemeanor cases prosecuted by the Office. Types of cases include, but are not limited to, homicides, sexual assaults, carjackings, kidnappings, robberies, burglaries, domestic violence, and narcotics and weapons possession. AUSAs must possess the qualities necessary to excel in their mission to enforce the criminal laws of the District of Columbia and the United States. These qualities include advocacy and communication skills; superior writing and analytical skills; the ability to manage a high-volume docket; and dedication to duty. Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, investigative agencies, witnesses, and crime victims. They must also demonstrate their willingness to meet the high ethical standards expected of prosecutors in their interactions with opposing counsel and the courts. The Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Career Development Program implemented by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia provides new AUSAs with rotational work assignments in different (and progressively more complex) legal program areas of the Office for an approximate four-year duration. Rotations through different areas of litigation provide the new AUSA opportunities to develop skills and competencies that will enhance their ability to contribute to the important mission of the United States Attorney's Office to enforce federal law and administer justice in the United States. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a United States Citizen or National. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. The initial appointment is temporary not-to-exceed 14 months from the effective date. The appointment will be converted to a permanent appointment after receiving a favorable adjudication of a full-field background investigation. Failure to obtain a favorable adjudication from the background investigation process could result in your removal from federal service. Once you have been converted to a permanent position, you will be subject to a two-year probationary period. Failure to successfully perform during this probationary period could result in your removal from federal service. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access depending on organizational assignment / duty location. Qualifications Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one year post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. Preferred Qualifications: Litigation experience and a minimum GPA of 3.0 is preferred. Applicants must possess superior communication and advocacy skills; exhibit exceptional research and writing ability; perform thorough legal and factual analysis; demonstrate an ability to work well with others; exercise good judgment; and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree Additional Information Salary Information: This is an excepted service attorney appointment under an Administrative Determined pay scale. (See www.justice.gov/usao/career-center/salary-information/administratively-determined-pay-plan-charts). Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $84,601 to $195,100 which includes 33.94% locality pay. For additional information on salary and benefits, visit www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorney-salaries-promotions-and-benefits. Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees. Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized. 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. Type of Position: All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent without further competition. 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. Political Appointees (Current and Former): Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. 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.
