What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant United States Attorney (TERM Appointment, Not-to-Exceed 03/31/2028) position at U.S. Department of Justice?
Hiring Organization
USAO Northern District of New York
Hiring Office
Criminal Division
Job ID
25-NYN-12718453-AUSA
Location:
Albany, NY; Plattsburgh, NY; or Syracuse, NY - United States
Application Deadline:
Monday, April 21, 2025
About the Office
The United States Department of Justice has prioritized investigations and prosecutions relating to illegal immigration, Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), and the illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings, collectively known as the Border District Surge (BDS).
In support of this mission, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY), a border district, is seeking Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to work in the Criminal Division in its Albany, New York, Plattsburgh, New York, or Syracuse, New York office for a term, not-to-exceed March 31, 2028.
The United States Attorney’s Office for NDNY serves an area comprised of 32 counties in upstate New York. AUSAs are staffed in Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Syracuse, and appear before federal judges there and in Utica. Approximately 55 attorneys and 51 support personnel work in NDNY, along with several subject-matter specialist contract personnel.
Albany is the state capital of New York with a metropolitan area that is home to more than one million people. Located within a three-hour drive of New York City and Boston, the Capital Region offers rich history, extensive cultural opportunities, outstanding schools, and the nearby beauty of the Adirondack Mountains, Lake George, and the Catskills.
Plattsburgh is situated on the shores of magnificent Lake Champlain. The Lake is a splendid venue for boating, wind surfing, and fishing. Lake Champlain is surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Less than an hour's drive from Plattsburgh, the Lake Placid/High Peaks region, the venue for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, offers skiing, snowmobile/ATV trails, camping, hiking, and backpacking. The Champlain Valley and surrounding areas offer a setting as spectacular and beautiful as any in the Eastern United States.
Syracuse is located in Central New York, a region that contains both urban and rural areas, with a population of just under 1.2 million. Syracuse and its surroundings offer abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, close proximity to the Finger Lakes region and Lake Ontario, the academic and cultural resources of numerous colleges and universities, excellent schools, and a rapidly developing high-tech manufacturing sector.
Find additional information about the Northern District of New York at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny
Job Description
These AUSA positions are in NDNY’s Criminal Division, which is comprised of approximately 39 attorneys and are responsible for prosecuting federal crimes.
As a border district, the selected AUSAs will specifically work on investigations and prosecutions relating to illegal immigration, illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings, and targeting the Cartels and TCOs designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to the process established in Executive Order 14157.
The selected AUSAs may work on any type of criminal casework directly related to these initiatives, including related forfeiture efforts. They will work with law enforcement agencies to investigate such crimes, research and brief legal issues, and represent the United States before grand juries and in hearings, trials, and appeals.
Day-to-day responsibilities may include working with law enforcement agencies and others to investigate such matters, researching legal issues, drafting motions or motion responses, drafting search warrants, appearing before grand juries, and other litigation related duties.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress.
Qualifications
Required:
Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (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.
Applicants must hold United States citizenship.
Preferred:
The ideal candidate will:
Have at least 3 years of post-J.D. experience that provided significant opportunity to develop strong legal writing, oral advocacy, and courtroom litigation skills;
Demonstrate facility with federal criminal practice;
Be comfortable with all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation;
Collaborate effectively with others, including AUSAs, law enforcement, support staff, and court personnel;
Possess impeccable integrity; and
Be self‑motivated, justice‑oriented, organized, and courteous.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon closing date of this announcement.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
These are TERM positions, not-to-exceed March 31, 2028. These positions may be extended or made permanent without further competition.
The staffing, continuation, or extension of these positions is subject to the availability of funds.
Security Requirements
Initial appointment is conditioned upon 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 Requirement
AUSAs must reside in the district to which they are appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. §545 for district-specific information.
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. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.
Application Process
To apply, applications must be submitted online through USAJOBS, which may be accessed via the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/834504300
Please reference the "Required Documents" section of the USAJOBS vacancy for information regarding the specific documents and the format in which they must be submitted to complete your application.
Evaluation Process
Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. After the application period closes, the NDNY leadership team will review all qualified applicants to make determinations on who they will interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. Our hiring process will involve in-person panel-style interviews.
If you have questions regarding this process, you may contact Maria Farrell, Human Resources Officer at 315-448-0963 or maria.farrell@usdoj.gov.
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Salary
Pay for AUSAs is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $63,163 to $165,209 per year, plus a locality pay supplement, where authorized. For Albany, total salary is $76,282 to $195,200, which includes 20.77% locality pay. For Plattsburgh, NY or Syracuse, NY, total salary is $73,939 to $193,394, which includes 17.06% locality pay.
USAO Northern District of New York
Hiring Office
Criminal Division
Job ID
25-NYN-12718453-AUSA
Location:
Albany, NY; Plattsburgh, NY; or Syracuse, NY - United States
Application Deadline:
Monday, April 21, 2025
About the Office
The United States Department of Justice has prioritized investigations and prosecutions relating to illegal immigration, Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), and the illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings, collectively known as the Border District Surge (BDS).
In support of this mission, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY), a border district, is seeking Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to work in the Criminal Division in its Albany, New York, Plattsburgh, New York, or Syracuse, New York office for a term, not-to-exceed March 31, 2028.
The United States Attorney’s Office for NDNY serves an area comprised of 32 counties in upstate New York. AUSAs are staffed in Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Syracuse, and appear before federal judges there and in Utica. Approximately 55 attorneys and 51 support personnel work in NDNY, along with several subject-matter specialist contract personnel.
Albany is the state capital of New York with a metropolitan area that is home to more than one million people. Located within a three-hour drive of New York City and Boston, the Capital Region offers rich history, extensive cultural opportunities, outstanding schools, and the nearby beauty of the Adirondack Mountains, Lake George, and the Catskills.
Plattsburgh is situated on the shores of magnificent Lake Champlain. The Lake is a splendid venue for boating, wind surfing, and fishing. Lake Champlain is surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Less than an hour's drive from Plattsburgh, the Lake Placid/High Peaks region, the venue for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, offers skiing, snowmobile/ATV trails, camping, hiking, and backpacking. The Champlain Valley and surrounding areas offer a setting as spectacular and beautiful as any in the Eastern United States.
Syracuse is located in Central New York, a region that contains both urban and rural areas, with a population of just under 1.2 million. Syracuse and its surroundings offer abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, close proximity to the Finger Lakes region and Lake Ontario, the academic and cultural resources of numerous colleges and universities, excellent schools, and a rapidly developing high-tech manufacturing sector.
Find additional information about the Northern District of New York at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny
Job Description
These AUSA positions are in NDNY’s Criminal Division, which is comprised of approximately 39 attorneys and are responsible for prosecuting federal crimes.
As a border district, the selected AUSAs will specifically work on investigations and prosecutions relating to illegal immigration, illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings, and targeting the Cartels and TCOs designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to the process established in Executive Order 14157.
The selected AUSAs may work on any type of criminal casework directly related to these initiatives, including related forfeiture efforts. They will work with law enforcement agencies to investigate such crimes, research and brief legal issues, and represent the United States before grand juries and in hearings, trials, and appeals.
Day-to-day responsibilities may include working with law enforcement agencies and others to investigate such matters, researching legal issues, drafting motions or motion responses, drafting search warrants, appearing before grand juries, and other litigation related duties.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress.
Qualifications
Required:
Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (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.
Applicants must hold United States citizenship.
Preferred:
The ideal candidate will:
Have at least 3 years of post-J.D. experience that provided significant opportunity to develop strong legal writing, oral advocacy, and courtroom litigation skills;
Demonstrate facility with federal criminal practice;
Be comfortable with all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation;
Collaborate effectively with others, including AUSAs, law enforcement, support staff, and court personnel;
Possess impeccable integrity; and
Be self‑motivated, justice‑oriented, organized, and courteous.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon closing date of this announcement.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
These are TERM positions, not-to-exceed March 31, 2028. These positions may be extended or made permanent without further competition.
The staffing, continuation, or extension of these positions is subject to the availability of funds.
Security Requirements
Initial appointment is conditioned upon 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 Requirement
AUSAs must reside in the district to which they are appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. §545 for district-specific information.
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. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.
Application Process
To apply, applications must be submitted online through USAJOBS, which may be accessed via the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/834504300
Please reference the "Required Documents" section of the USAJOBS vacancy for information regarding the specific documents and the format in which they must be submitted to complete your application.
Evaluation Process
Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. After the application period closes, the NDNY leadership team will review all qualified applicants to make determinations on who they will interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. Our hiring process will involve in-person panel-style interviews.
If you have questions regarding this process, you may contact Maria Farrell, Human Resources Officer at 315-448-0963 or maria.farrell@usdoj.gov.
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Salary
Pay for AUSAs is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $63,163 to $165,209 per year, plus a locality pay supplement, where authorized. For Albany, total salary is $76,282 to $195,200, which includes 20.77% locality pay. For Plattsburgh, NY or Syracuse, NY, total salary is $73,939 to $193,394, which includes 17.06% locality pay.
Salary : $63,163 - $165,209
