Summary The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is comprised of 166 attorneys located in three offices: Newark, Trenton, and Camden. The USAO has jurisdiction and responsibility over a broad range of subject matter areas, all of which involve advancing the criminal and civil legal interests of the federal government. Positions are located in Newark, Trenton, or Camden. Responsibilities The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is seeking attorneys, including attorneys with 1 to 3 years of legal experience, to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Criminal and Civil Divisions to support priority litigation needs within the Office. In the near term, these AUSAs will work primarily in the Civil Division representing the United States, its agencies, and employees in matters including habeas corpus petitions filed by illegal aliens and related post-conviction litigation. Additional responsibilities may include matters involving compassionate release, sentence reductions, and other federal litigation, as operational needs require. These positions offer attorneys the opportunity to gain substantial federal litigation experience and, over time, transition into broader assignments within the Civil or Criminal Divisions consistent with the Office's evolving needs. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is seeking to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) positions to staff a newly formed Special Programs Unit, which will focus on a mix of criminal and civil programs. The selected AUSAs will begin their work primarily in the Civil Division to represent the United States, its agencies, and employees with respect to petitions for habeas corpus filed by illegal aliens. In addition, the selected AUSAs may represent the United States in matters including, but not limited to, motions for post-conviction release filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, motions for compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c), motions for early termination of supervised release under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e), and motions for reduction of sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) and the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Amendment 821. AUSAs also may assist in filter reviews, tax matters, and asset forfeiture issues in the Criminal Division, as needs arise, and change over time. 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 can, at times, involve 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 proceedings in those cases, including motions practice, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, pretrial matters, trials and appeals. They must be able to work well with their colleagues, supervisors, support staff, and witnesses. They must have strong legal research skills, be able to produce high quality written work even under short deadlines and be persuasive oral advocates. Newly hired AUSAs are expected to quickly develop subject matter expertise in their regular practice, and to possess or rapidly acquire expert-level knowledge of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the US Sentencing Guidelines. Responsibilities may increase and assignments become more complex as training and experience progress, with potential to transfer as a general AUSA in the Civil or Criminal Divisions depending on performance and the needs of the office. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. 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. 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. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree Additional Information Salary Information: 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 $65,563 to $171,787 and $84,570 to $197,100 which includes 28.99% locality pay for Camden NJ or 37.95% locality pay for Newark/Trenton NJ. 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. * 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. Travel: Occasional travel may be expected for this position. 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. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. 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.
