Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal)

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office (USAO), Southern District of Florida (SDFL) is seeking several experienced attorneys to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) within the criminal division located in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, or Fort Pierce, Florida.

This District is known to be one of the largest USAOs in the nation.

All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

Duties

The Southern District of Florida carries one of the busiest criminal trial dockets in the nation. If selected, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens within our main office located in Miami, or one of our branch offices located in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, or Fort Pierce, Florida.

• Applicants may apply to a single office, or to more than one location.
• The incumbent will represent the U.S. Government as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in a wide range of unique and complex criminal cases, in a District that extends over 300 miles from Key West to Vero Beach.
• You will be responsible for prosecuting a variety of violations of federal laws such as immigration, drugs, firearms, public corruption, and white-collar crime.

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.
• 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.

Proof of active bar membership is required.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications :

Prior experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions is preferred. Applicants should possess superior oral and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the capacity to function in a highly demanding environment with minimal guidance.

The successful candidate should have strong academic credentials and at least 3 years of post J.D. experience.

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

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.

Residency Requirements : Assistant United States Attorneys 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.

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.

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 for AD-21 through AD-29 is $117,842 to $191,800 which includes 24.42% 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 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 : May require travel, both within and outside the district, as needed.

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) : 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.

Diversity Statement : As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment.

To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

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.

Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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 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 disabilities where appropriate.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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.

Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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.

Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.

You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes :

• Required - Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
• Required - A writing sample (5-10 pages).
• Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day / month / year). (cover letter is optional but preferred, and should be addressed to the hiring committee).
• Required - a copy of bar membership, in good standing.
• Required, if applicable - A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade and current salary.
• Required, if applicable - To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation.

See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation.

It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.

The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Southern District of Florida who can be reached at ( redacted or Minett.F redacted

Department of Justice Policies

The Department of Justice is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants.

See U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for complete details.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities : The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted / severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements.

Qualified applicants with targeted / severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.

F.R. redacted (u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted / severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.

Suitability and Citizenship : It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.

Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https : / / www.

usajobs.gov / Help / working-in-government / non-citizens / ). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.

S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.

S. citizens meeting immig