Assistant United States Attorney
About the Role
This position is located in San Diego, California. The Southern District of California (SDCA) is one of the largest U.S. Attorney's offices in the country with one of the largest caseloads. This office prosecutes federal crimes and defends the interests of the United States government in civil cases. SDCA encompasses San Diego and Imperial Counties and includes a branch office in Imperial, California.
Duties
The Criminal Division is organized into three sections: General Crimes, Organized Crimes and Special Prosecution. Most Criminal AUSAs begin their careers in General Crimes.
General Crimes handles a large volume of reactive cases that arise from policing the 141-mile-long border between California and Mexico, six Ports of Entry, and the roughly 70 miles of coastline stretching from the U.S./Mexico border to the northernmost tip of San Diego County. Such cases commonly include:
- Illegal entry and reentry
- Drug importation and smuggling
- Alien smuggling
Aside from their reactive cases, prosecutors in the section also handle firearms-related matters, drug distribution, child exploitation, fraud, and other prosecutions. General Crimes prosecutors try a large number of cases and conduct proactive investigations using a wide range of investigative tools and pursue matters involving undercover operations and confidential sources.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Requirements
- 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
- This is a term position not-to-exceed September 30, 2029. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition
- 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
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrate a quick analytical ability and an aptitude for accurately articulating the critical issues in a case
- Demonstrate superior oral and writing skills, as well as strong research and interpersonal skills and good judgment
- Possess excellent communication and courtroom skills
- Exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies
- Demonstrated excellent computer literacy skills, to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e-mail and word processing systems
AUSAs receive training by the U.S. Department of Justice and by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Appointment is subject to an FBI background investigation, including credit, arrest, and drug use inquiries.
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.
Pay & Benefits
- 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 $87,671 to $197,100 per annum which includes a 33.72% locality pay
- The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System
- Relocation expenses may be authorized in accordance with applicable regulations
Schedule & Travel
- Occasional travel both within and outside the District as necessary
Additional Information
- Type of Position: This is a term position not-to-exceed September 30th, 2029. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition
- 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 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
- 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