Summary The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana strives to promote professional development and to build a legacy of excellence. Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interest of the United States, provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. www.justice.gov/usao-wdla Responsibilities The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana, is seeking applicants from qualified attorneys to fill a vacancy in our Civil Division as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). AUSAs located in the Civil Division will be responsible for representing the United States in civil cases across a broad variety of practice areas including financial litigation, immigration litigation, prisoner litigation, personal injury and other torts, civil rights, employment discrimination, medical malpractice, environmental protection, asset forfeiture, social security, bankruptcy and other civil matters.Generally, as a Civil AUSA, the incumbent: Handles case development and management of all phases of investigation and litigation, including, but not limited to, researching legal issues, drafting motions and legal memoranda, drafting and responding to discovery request, document review and organization of case materials, taking or defending depositions, representing the United States as primary counsel in federal district court including litigating motions and conducting trials in U.S. District Court; Efficiently and defensibly manage incoming and outgoing case materials through all phases of discovery; and litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision. In collaboration with Division managers, develop and maintain the Section's program to foster effective district civil litigation where the United States is a defendant or respondent, including advising on strategy and legal complexities, and developing litigation priorities, policy, and legislative recommendations. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. 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. 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. J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, have at least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. Preferred Qualifications: Ideal applicants should demonstrate superior communication and courtroom skills, possess superior legal research and writing skills, implement exceptional research and writing ability, perform thorough legal and factual analysis, demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, exercise good judgment, demonstrate the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with agencies, support staff and other attorney, and exemplify commitment to public service. Applicants should have a strong work ethic and demonstrated capacity to function, with minimum guidance, in a highly demanding environment while balancing a heavy case load. 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 $153,834 plus locality pay currently set at 17.06%. 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. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit www.justice.gov/careers. This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies. 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, both within and outside the district, 1 to 5 nights of travel may be required per month. 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. EEO Statement/Policy: 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.
