Closing Date: 9th January, 2026
Description:
Summary:Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing.
As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Duties:
The United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio, is interviewing for an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). The position will be located in the Civil Division, Defensive Unit, of the Cleveland office. The Defensive Unit represents the United States, its officers, employees, and agencies when they are sued in the Northern District of Ohio.
The work in the Defensive Unit includes practice in the Northern District of Ohio, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and occasionally in state court. Working in the Civil Division, you will be part of a dedicated team representing the United States in a wide variety of cases, including all types of tort actions, employment discrimination and other workplace disputes, immigration matters and prisoner litigation.
Defensive Unit attorneys also defend federal employees accused of constitutional violations. The Unit often works in conjunction with attorneys from various DOJ components and other federal agencies. The qualified applicant has civil litigation experience, and would be expected to litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision. The attorney selected for this position will have duties including taking depositions, obtaining written discovery, engaging in motion practice, negotiating settlements, trying cases, and briefing and arguing appeals. Successful applicants will have excellent writing and research skills, be able to handle matters in court, and be devoted to justice, excellence and representing the citizens of the Northern District of Ohio.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
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.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) full years of post-bar admission professional attorney experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have strong academic credentials, superior legal research and writing skills, quick analytical ability to accurately and precisely articulate critical case-related issues, courtroom experience, good interpersonal skills, the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with client agencies, support staff and other attorneys, and a demonstrated commitment to public service.
Applicants must possess excellent computer skills. Experience with automated research, electronic court filing, and various word-processing systems, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, 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 $82,949 to $181,147 which includes 22.23% locality pay.
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 (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:
The AUSA may be required to travel throughout the Northern District of Ohio to attend court proceedings, interview witnesses, attend meetings and to attend training at the Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Infrequent travel to other domestic and foreign destinations is possible.
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.
Additional Information:
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.
Benefits:
The work in the Defensive Unit includes practice in the Northern District of Ohio, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and occasionally in state court. Working in the Civil Division, you will be part of a dedicated team representing the United States in a wide variety of cases, including all types of tort actions, employment discrimination and other workplace disputes, immigration matters and prisoner litigation.
Defensive Unit attorneys also defend federal employees accused of constitutional violations. The Unit often works in conjunction with attorneys from various DOJ components and other federal agencies. The qualified applicant has civil litigation experience, and would be expected to litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision. The attorney selected for this position will have duties including taking depositions, obtaining written discovery, engaging in motion practice, negotiating settlements, trying cases, and briefing and arguing appeals. Successful applicants will have excellent writing and research skills, be able to handle matters in court, and be devoted to justice, excellence and representing the citizens of the Northern District of Ohio.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- Background Investigation, credit and tax checks, and drug test required.
- You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
- J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
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.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) full years of post-bar admission professional attorney experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should have strong academic credentials, superior legal research and writing skills, quick analytical ability to accurately and precisely articulate critical case-related issues, courtroom experience, good interpersonal skills, the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with client agencies, support staff and other attorneys, and a demonstrated commitment to public service.
Applicants must possess excellent computer skills. Experience with automated research, electronic court filing, and various word-processing systems, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, 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 $82,949 to $181,147 which includes 22.23% locality pay.
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 (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:
The AUSA may be required to travel throughout the Northern District of Ohio to attend court proceedings, interview witnesses, attend meetings and to attend training at the Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Infrequent travel to other domestic and foreign destinations is possible.
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.
Additional Information:
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.
Benefits:
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits. (https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/benefits)
Review our benefits (https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.)
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
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
Review our benefits (https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.)
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
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