Duties

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. On the local side, AUSAs assigned to the Superior Court Division prosecute cases ranging from misdemeanors to homicides. On the federal side, AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute federal crimes. The Civil Division further defends the United States in civil suits brought in the District of Columbia.
Learn more about this agency

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, narcotics and weapons possession; theft; assault; domestic violence; and other serious crimes of violence, including sexual assault; burglary; kidnaping; carjacking; and homicide.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments in the Superior Court Division will become more complex as training and experience progress. There may also be opportunities, although not guaranteed, for rotational assignments in the Appellate, Criminal (federal), or Special Proceedings (post-conviction) Divisions, although the focus of the rotation is on work in the Superior Court Division.

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.

If you submitted an application package in the previous six months you need not reapply to this announcement.

This position is located in Washington, D.C., and requires a four-year commitment.

As needed, the USAO-DC will fill additional positions using this announcement.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html or https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
29

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• United States Citizen or National
• J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any jurisdiction) required.
• Background Investigation, credit and tax checks, and drug test required.

Security Requirements : All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending a satisfactory pre-employment 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 must reside in the District 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.

Applicants should familiarize themselves with D.C. Legal Ethics Opinions 210 and 367 and comply with D.C. Rule of Professional Conduct 1.7, regarding concurrent conflicts of interest, in connection with any matters in which the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is involved. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you currently are representing clients in or adjudicating matters in which the U.S. Attorney's Office is involved and/or whether you have family members or intimate companions who are representing clients in or adjudicating matters in which the U.S. Attorney's Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be resolved under those circumstances.

Qualifications

Required 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 experience. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements on the date the application package is submitted. A four-year commitment is required.

Preferred Qualifications : Litigation experience and a minimum GPA of 3.0 is preferred. Applicants must be committed to public service; 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 a wide variety of people; exercise good judgment; and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.

Relocation Expenses : Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is preferred. Unofficial transcripts are required when submitting the online application package.

Additional information

Salary Information : The salary of Assistant United States Attorneys pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. With the current locality rate of 29.32%, the pay range is $68,036 to $166,400.

Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; 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 : None

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Evaluation Method: Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview.

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

Reasonable Accommodations : This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Sensitive Compartmented Information

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness , Credentialing , National security

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• A resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment
• A cover letter
• Responses to the Online Assessment Questionnaire. The Assessment Questionnaire is completed automatically during the "apply online" process, and will take approximately 20 minutes.
• An unofficial or official law school transcript
• Writing sample (such as an appellate brief, substantive brief or memorandum) that reflects your own work and does not exceed a total of 25 pages
• Required, if applicable - A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade, and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
• If seeking Veterans' Preference, please see the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate veterans' preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
• You may also submit Letter(s) of Reference (a maximum of three) as part of your Application Package, but you need not do so.

The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Lynita Greene, (202) 252-6631.

Department of Justice Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity : The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice.

Reasonable Accommodations : This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Suitability and Citizenship : It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.