Assistant United States Attorney

Closing Date: 24th November, 2026

Description:

Summary:
Employment with the U.S. Attorney's Office provides a unique, challenging, and rewarding experience for a highly motivated attorney. It is an opportunity to litigate a broad range of cases involving significant complex issues in Federal court and to become part of a dedicated team pursuing justice on behalf of the United States.

Two (2) vacancies total which may be filled in Dayton, OH.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Duties:
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio is seeking qualified attorneys to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancies in its Criminal Division. The AUSAs will be responsible for prosecuting all types of crimes under federal law including criminal immigration enforcement and alien smuggling, narcotics trafficking, cartel and transnational organizations, child exploitation, violent offenses, firearms violations, complex white-collar crime, public corruption, and fraud schemes pursuant to the Administration, Department, and U.S. Attorney priorities.

Generally, an AUSA assigned to the Criminal Division has the following responsibilities:

• Handle case development and management of all phases of investigation and litigation including, but not limited to, the use of grand jury, advising federal law enforcement agents, preparing appropriate pleadings, litigating motions, conducting trials and other proceedings in U.S. District Court, and handling appeals and other post-conviction litigation.
• Manage incoming and outgoing case materials through all phases of discovery and litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision.
• In collaboration with Division managers, develop and maintain the assigned caseload in a timely and efficient manner to foster effective investigation and prosecution of criminal violations, including advising on strategy and legal complexities, and developing litigation priorities.

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

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 possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
• United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:
The preferred candidate will have experience in litigation or a federal clerkship and will:

• demonstrate a quick analytical ability to accurately and precisely identify critical issues in a case,
• possess excellent research abilities, as well as superior oral advocacy, writing, and courtroom skills,
• have significant computer and computer software literacy,
• exhibit the ability to work and effectively communicate with other attorneys, support staff, and outside agencies, and as an independent and self-motivated litigator, and
• have the capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a demanding environment while balancing a high caseload.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Education:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent).

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 $79,606 to $197,100, which includes locality pay.
• A Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for qualified candidates. Eligibility for an incentive will be determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with federal regulations.
• 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:
Occasional travel, both within and outside the district, may be required.

Ethical Guidelines
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)
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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
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:
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 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 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).

Reasonable Accommodations:
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabili

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