What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant United States Attorney position at U.S. Department of Justice?
ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
The Western District of Kentucky covers 53 western counties in Kentucky. The main office is in Louisville, Kentucky, with staffed offices in Bowling Green and Paducah and an unstaffed office in Owensboro. The office presently has 40 attorneys and 50 support staff. The office seeks to maintain the highest standards of excellence in the enforcement of federal laws and the representation of the United States.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky is seeking applications from experienced litigators for an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancy in the Criminal Division in the Louisville office. While Assistant United States Attorneys assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute a variety of federal criminal cases involving fraud, public corruption, money laundering, and immigration offenses, this position will focus on domestic terrorism prosecutions and violent crime prosecutions such as firearms and drug trafficking offenses. The preferred applicant will have experience in the investigation and prosecution of a wide range of domestic terrorism crimes and violent crimes to include those involving firearms and drug trafficking. A successful record of working with law enforcement personnel during the investigation and prosecution of cases is crucial. Responsibilities include grand jury, trial, and appellate practices. The successful applicant will receive extensive Department of Justice training, including trial advocacy courses.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent without further competition.
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least three (3) years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred qualifications: Outstanding academic record; at least five (5) years of litigation experience; strong legal research and writing ability; strong advocacy skills; superior organizational skills; and computer literacy skills. Applicants will be expected to do independent legal research and writing and shall be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings. Preferred applicants will have excellent communication skills and demonstrated team building and leadership skills.
If not a member of the Kentucky Bar, a successful applicant is encouraged to become a member of the Kentucky Bar within a reasonable period of time.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
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.
Interested applicants should apply using the USAJOBS announcement found at the following link:
Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume. Please reference Vacancy Announcement Number 23-KYW-11981111-AUSA and include an email address and phone number on your cover letter and resume. Any applicant invited for an interview will be required to submit a writing sample.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on May 31, 2023, to receive consideration.
Questions concerning this vacancy announcement should be directed to Cynthia Hawkins, Human Resources Specialist, at 502-582-6985 or via email at cynthia.hawkins@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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Updated May 25, 2023
Department 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 race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based 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.
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 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.
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 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 must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-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. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: 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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. 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 for a copy of SF 15, 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 their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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.
Salary : $69,107 - $162,148
