Summary The Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington is currently seeking an attorney to join the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) unit. This position is located in Seattle, WA. Responsibilities Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation pending in the Western District of Washington and in appeals before the Ninth Circuit. The attorney selected for this position will be assigned to the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) unit. ACE attorneys handle a diverse docket, including (1) investigations and civil cases filed under the False Claims Act (including qui tam complaints), health care fraud investigations, and procurement fraud matters; (2) civil penalty actions, including suits to address drug diversion and other violations of the Controlled Substances Act; and (3) other litigation to enforce the nation's health, safety, and economic welfare laws. The selected attorney will work closely with federal law enforcement agencies and may be required to coordinate with criminal AUSAs and/or state prosecutors. Job duties may include conducting legal research, drafting legal memoranda, preparing and answering written discovery, taking and defending depositions or examinations, overseeing and coordinating investigations, representing the United States in judicial proceedings at both the trial and appellate levels, and conducting public outreach and educational activities. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. 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 Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction). United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Ideal qualifications include at least three (3) years of post-J.D. experience. Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and an ability to synthesize a wide range of data, help direct an investigation and have the ability to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case. Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and writing skills, strong research and interpersonal skills, and good judgment. Applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills, and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment and in the highest ethical manner. Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing, and will be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants also must demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with Internet research, electronic court filing, electronic mail and data management, word processing, and video-conferencing systems. 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 $86,261 to $197,100, which includes 31.57% locality pay. 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. Recruitment incentives may be authorized if this position is determined to be difficult to fill, if supported by the skills of the selected candidate, and subject to the availability of funds. Relocation expenses will not be authorized. A relocation incentive may be considered as appropriate based on qualifications. This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department 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 within and outside the District will be required. 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. 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. Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: 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 targeted/severe 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.
