Assistant United States Attorney Criminal

About the role

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana is seeking experienced, motivated, and prosecution-oriented attorneys to join its Criminal Division. Two positions are available: one Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to the Criminal Division in the Billings branch office, and one assigned to the Criminal Division in either the Helena or Great Falls branch office.

The Billings position will focus on investigating and prosecuting drug trafficking; crimes related to immigration matters such as gang-related crimes involving aliens, child trafficking and smuggling involving aliens, unlawful voting, firearms trafficking and smuggling involving aliens, and fraud committed by aliens; and similar areas as determined by the needs of the district.

The Helena/Great Falls position will focus on investigating and prosecuting violent crime, drug distribution, and fraud committed in Indian Country and on reservations. The successful candidate may be assigned to act as a liaison between a reservation and the United States Attorney's Office.

Additional casework for both positions may involve drug trafficking, criminal immigration, illegal firearm possession, organized crime, human trafficking, child exploitation/child pornography, and other areas as determined by the needs of the district. Some travel may be required (1 to 5 nights per month). Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress.

Responsibilities

• Assist federal law enforcement agents in structuring and implementing criminal investigative plans and strategies
• Actively participate in grand jury proceedings, including the presentation of witnesses before the grand jury
• Litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision
• Write and argue appeals
• Handle additional point of contact assignments based on the office's needs
• Handle ancillary coordinator assignments within the office as assigned

Requirements

• United States citizenship required
• J.D. degree and active membership in the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction required by entry on duty date
• Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof (see 28 U.S.C. § 545)
• Initial appointment conditioned upon satisfactory pre-employment adjudication including fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing
• Continued employment subject to favorable adjudication of a background investigation
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or exemption therefrom

Qualifications

Required

• J.D. degree (or equivalent) and active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) by entry on duty date
• Law school graduates and current law students taking a July 2026 bar examination may be considered, subject to the above requirements
• United States citizenship

Preferred

• Superior oral and written communication skills
• Excellent research and analytical skills
• High EQ and interpersonal skills, and good judgment
• Excellent advocacy and courtroom skills
• Ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies
• Demonstrated capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment
• Excellent organizational capabilities, including the ability to track and meet deadlines across multiple active cases
• Excellent computer literacy including experience and competence with automated electronic court filing

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree.

Pay

Assistant United States Attorney pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $76,748 to $200,743, which includes 17.06% locality pay.

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.

Relocation expenses will not be authorized. A recruitment or relocation incentive may be considered as appropriate based on qualifications.

Schedule

Travel: 1 to 5 nights per month.