Summary 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 Civil Division. AUSAs in the Civil Division represent the U.S. Government in both affirmative and defensive civil litigation in both trial and appellate courts. Responsibilities The Civil Division does not have formal subcomponents, so Civil AUSA's may be assigned all @types of cases and may remain responsible for all proceedings in their assigned cases from inception until final resolution, including trial and appeals. Approximately eighty percent of the Civil Division's defensive case docket consists of cases brought under the Freedom of Information Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the federal employment discrimination laws, and the immigration laws. Other kinds of defensive cases, including Federal Tort Claims Act cases and Privacy Act cases, account for smaller percentages. Civil AUSAs must serve as effective and dedicated advocates for the government's interests, timely and efficiently pursue the just resolution of their assigned cases, and make sound and legally supportable decisions toward those ends. They must possess the foresight and organizational and legal skills needed to manage a large and diverse caseload that involves lengthy and difficult litigation. They must be able to identify the relevant legal and factual issues in their assigned cases, and to develop and implement effective strategies for all proceeding in those cases, including motions practice, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, trial and appeal. They must be able to work well with colleagues, supervisors, support staff, and other participants in litigation such as court personnel, opposing counsel, agency counsel, and witnesses. They must have strong legal research skills, be able to produce high quality written work even under deadline pressure, and be persuasive oral advocates. Newly hired Civil AUSAs are expected to quickly develop subject matter expertise in all areas in which the Civil Division regularly practices, and to possess or rapidly acquire expert-level knowledge of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Evidence. 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. Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information. 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 of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. You must be a United States Citizen or National. Preferred Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have 1 to 5 years of experience working on complex civil litigation and be looking for the opportunity and challenge of handling their own cases (i.e., being the lead attorney presenting arguments in court, conducting trials, taking depositions, and drafting briefs and other filings). 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; have mature judgment and a keen desire for public service; and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. As needed, additional positions may be filled using 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/administrativelydetermined-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. Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information. 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): 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. EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. 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.
