Closing Date: 24th August, 2024

Description:

Job Description:
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania is accepting applications on an ongoing basis from attorneys with litigation experience for the position of Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) to serve in the Civil Division.

All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Civil Division attorneys represent the United States in affirmative civil enforcement (“ACE”) and defensive civil litigation in the District. Primary ACE areas of practice include False Claims Act cases and investigations, including whistleblower actions brought by qui tam relators, civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act, and enforcement of civil rights statutes. Defensive civil litigation includes defense of the government in tort actions, discrimination cases, suits brought under the Administrative Procedures Act, Bivens cases, immigration, and other civil matters.

Civil Division attorneys' responsibilities include working with law enforcement partners, gathering evidence, taking testimony, writing briefs, participating in negotiations, representing the United States in court including at trial, as well as researching legal issues, drafting legal pleadings and memoranda, drafting and responding to discovery requests, reviewing and organizing documents, and taking and defending depositions.

The attorney must have a strong ability to analyze complex legal and factual issues, write clearly and persuasively, possess a strong work ethic, exhibit good organizational skills, exercise fair and sound judgment, pay careful attention to facts and details, work well both independently and on a team, be ready and willing to volunteer to help other attorneys, be able to negotiate effectively with opposing counsel, handle matters in court persuasively on behalf of the United States of America, and be devoted to justice, excellence, and representing the public.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications:
Conditions of Employment:
  • You must be a United States Citizen or National.
  • 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.
  • You must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction). You will be required to maintain an active bar membership in "good standing" in order to retain employment (annual recertification will be reviewed).
  • All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis.
  • Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing.
  • Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. DOJ employees are required to undergo background successful re-investigation every 5 years to retain employment.

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.

Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least one (1) year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications: Ideal qualifications include at least 3+ years of post-J.D. experience litigating cases in federal or state courts, with substantial responsibility for all aspects of discovery, trial and appeals.

Education:
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.