Closing Date: 30th September, 2026
Description:
Summary:The Eastern District of California is seeking attorneys to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Civil Division of the Sacramento and Fresno Offices. The selected applicant(s) will be based in our Sacramento or Fresno office and will collaborate with other criminal and civil Assistant U.S. Attorneys based in both Sacramento and Fresno, and will be supported by a staff of paralegals, investigators, auditors, and other professionals.
Duties:
The United States Attorney is seeking attorneys to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in one or more of the following units in the Civil Division:
The selected applicant(s) will be based in our Sacramento or Fresno office and will collaborate with other criminal and civil Assistant U.S. Attorneys based in both Sacramento and Fresno, and will be supported by a staff of paralegals, investigators, auditors, and other professionals.
Your application will be considered for all Assistant U.S. Attorney vacancies in the Civil Division in the location(s) that you indicate in your preferences. You may also indicate in your cover letter a unit preference.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Additional office location information:
Sacramento is located in the heart of California. Sacramento is home to professional ballet and opera theatre companies, providing a wide range of cultural activities and events. Professional sports are represented by the Sacramento Kings, the Sacramento River Cats, and the Sacramento Republic FC. Bound by two rivers and in close proximity to several lakes, water recreation tops the list for outdoor activities such as salmon fishing, river rafting, and boating. Sacramento is located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and approximately 90 miles west of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, providing numerous recreational opportunities for skiing and boating enthusiasts.
Fresno is one of the fastest growing cities in California, due in part to its central location to major tourist areas in California. Fresno is located in the middle of the fertile San Joaquin Valley, also known as the Central Valley, which is a major supplier of food and agricultural products for the United States and the world. This area also includes national treasures such as Yosemite National Park and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks.
As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Ideal qualifications include at least three to five years of experience litigating cases with substantial responsibility for all aspects of discovery, trial, and appeals. Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case. Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and wring skills as well as 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, paralegals, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function in a highly demanding environment.
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 must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e-mail and word processing 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: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The recruiting range of basic pay for AD-21 through AD-29 is as follows:
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.
This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies (http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorneys-vacancies) and Volunteer Legal Internships (http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/volunteer-internship-opportunities). 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: Travel will occasionally be required.
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.
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/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, m
- Affirmative Civil Enforcement: Responsibilities include enforcement investigations and litigation involving healthcare fraud, procurement fraud, grant fraud, financial fraud, pharmaceutical diversion, wildlife recovery actions, and civil rights enforcement, among other things.
- Asset Recovery: The Asset Recovery Unit is comprised of Asset Forfeiture, Financial Litigation, and Bankruptcy. Responsibilities include forfeiture of proceeds and instrumentality of crimes, primarily for the benefit of victims; enforcement of judgments, including restitution for crime victims, collection of debts owed to the United States, and protection of the interests of the United States, in bankruptcy proceedings, among other duties.
- Defense: Responsibilities include defending the United States, federal agencies, and federal employees in all manner of lawsuits, including employment-discrimination actions; medical malpractice, personal injury, and other tort actions; Administrative Procedure Act cases; challenges to land management decisions under the National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental statutes; Social Security, Medicare, and other federal programs; "Bivens" civil rights actions and Immigration.
Your application will be considered for all Assistant U.S. Attorney vacancies in the Civil Division in the location(s) that you indicate in your preferences. You may also indicate in your cover letter a unit preference.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Additional office location information:
Sacramento is located in the heart of California. Sacramento is home to professional ballet and opera theatre companies, providing a wide range of cultural activities and events. Professional sports are represented by the Sacramento Kings, the Sacramento River Cats, and the Sacramento Republic FC. Bound by two rivers and in close proximity to several lakes, water recreation tops the list for outdoor activities such as salmon fishing, river rafting, and boating. Sacramento is located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and approximately 90 miles west of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, providing numerous recreational opportunities for skiing and boating enthusiasts.
Fresno is one of the fastest growing cities in California, due in part to its central location to major tourist areas in California. Fresno is located in the middle of the fertile San Joaquin Valley, also known as the Central Valley, which is a major supplier of food and agricultural products for the United States and the world. This area also includes national treasures such as Yosemite National Park and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks.
As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- 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.
- J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
- Must reside in the district to which 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.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Ideal qualifications include at least three to five years of experience litigating cases with substantial responsibility for all aspects of discovery, trial, and appeals. Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case. Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and wring skills as well as 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, paralegals, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function in a highly demanding environment.
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 must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e-mail and word processing 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: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The recruiting range of basic pay for AD-21 through AD-29 is as follows:
- Sacramento: $85,075 to $197,100 which includes 29.76% locality pay.
- Fresno: $77,135.00 to $180,986.00 which includes 17.65% locality pay.
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.
This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies (http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorneys-vacancies) and Volunteer Legal Internships (http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/volunteer-internship-opportunities). 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: Travel will occasionally be required.
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.
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/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, m
