Assistant United States Attorney

Closing Date: 22nd October, 2025

Description:

Summary:
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska is seeking applications from experienced and motivated attorneys who have superb research and writing skills as well as a criminal law background to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancies in the Criminal Division. Additional vacancies may be filled using this announcement.

This position is located in Anchorage,Alaska.

Duties:
The successful candidate primarily will be responsible for handling the investigation and prosecution of federal crimes in national priority areas including violent crime, fentanyl trafficking, gang/cartel related crimes, and illegal firearms offenses. In addition, the candidate may also be called upon to assist in the prosecution of a wide variety of other criminal cases as needed to address the District's priorities, including child exploitation, fraud, and public corruption. Assistant United States Attorneys work their cases from inception through appeal, and thus, in addition to district court work, the successful candidate will be responsible for drafting appellate briefs and presenting oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The successful candidate must have the legal acumen and experience to successfully prosecute a complex organized crime or drug trafficking case or be capable of prosecuting such a case if given the appropriate training and experience. The candidate must establish a commitment to the District of Alaska. The candidate must also have a prosecutor's professional temperament and judgment. They must have the desire to do justice, meaning to vigorously use the power of our office to protect the public, but also to protect the rights of defendants based on strong ethical beliefs. Finally, the successful candidate must be an inspiring colleague and leader or be capable of being such a colleague and leader as they develop. An essential part of being this type of colleague is being a dedicated team player; someone who believes in effective teamwork.

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

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.

Residency Requirements: 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.

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.

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.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• 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.

Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:

• Applicants must have excellent academic credentials, a J.D. degree, an active membership in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction, minimum one (1) year post-J.D. experience, superior analytical abilities and oral communications skills, excellent research and writing skills, good judgment and strong character. Mentoring and training will be provided.
• United States citizenship is required.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Education:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree

Additional Information:

• Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $63,163 to $195,200 which includes locality pay. In addition there is a non-taxable cost of living allowance where authorized.
• Other 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 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: Some travel is required.
• Type of Position: All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• 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: 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, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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 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 retirement was due

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