Closing Date: 27th October, 2026

Description:

Summary:
In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner.

This position is located in Indianapolis, IN.

Duties:
Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. We strive to build a stronger office through recruitment efforts and maintain the high standards of the office by promoting professional development. We seek to build a legacy of excellence.

Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) within the Civil Division represent the United States and its departments, agencies, and employees in civil actions at both the trial and appellate levels. The attorney should be experienced with handling litigation from initial case filing through discovery and have strong writing skills. Trial experience is preferred.

The attorney selected will be assigned to the Indianapolis, Indiana office as part of the Civil Division. The selected Assistant United States Attorney will represent the United States, its agencies, and its officers in a wide range of defensive litigation. The position will involve a variety of civil litigation and may include torts, including medical malpractice and other torts advanced under the Federal Tort Claims Act; constitutional torts; immigration; program litigation, such as challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act; financial litigation; and other matters.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Travel for litigation and training purposes is required and should be expected to occur on a regular basis.

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.
  • Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) by their entry on duty date. Law school graduates and current law students taking a July 2026 bar examination may be considered.
  • 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 (or equivalent) and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) by their entry on duty date. Law school graduates and current law students taking a July 2026 bar examination may be considered, subject to the foregoing requirements.

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 by Enter on Duty (EOD) date.

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 $65,563-$171,487 plus locality pay of 18.15%.

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.

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://usajobshelp.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/52684371945747-Benefits)
 
Review our benefits (https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.?_gl=1*1phh8ld*_ga*NjQ0MjQ5MzQ5LjE3MjU1OTI5OTA.*_ga_CLZB1LJ1VZ*czE3OTE5NTY2MTIkbzMkZzEkdDE3OTE5NTY2MTIkajYwJGwwJGgw)
 
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 to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview.Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Depar