Assistant United States Attorney - Criminal

About the role

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas is among the largest and busiest in the nation, spanning 43 counties and 44,000 square miles and representing 8.3 million people from the Houston area to the Mexico border. Employment with the U.S. Attorney's Office is a unique, challenging, and rewarding experience for the highly motivated attorney.

Responsibilities

• Prosecute a variety of violations and enforce federal laws related to organized crime, financial litigation, immigration, drugs, firearms, public corruption, asset forfeiture, and white-collar crime.
• Work in a supportive and professional team environment with other AUSAs, support staff, and investigative agencies.
• Prepare and present cases in court, including first-chair jury trials.
• Perform legal research and writing, and prepare day-to-day correspondence and pleadings.
• Investigate and prosecute or defend criminal offenses.
• Participate in grand jury proceedings.

Qualifications

• A J.D. degree and active membership in the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
• At least 1 year of post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Strong academic credentials, superior legal research and writing skills, quick analytical ability, outstanding organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service.
• Computer proficiency and capability to do legal research and writing independently.
• Experience with investigative and prosecution techniques.
• Expertise in grand jury practice is desirable.

Benefits

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.

Pay

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 $73,939.00 to $195,100 which includes 17.06% locality pay.

Schedule

This position is located in McAllen, TX. Travel: 1 to 5 nights per month on average.

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted by December 3, 2025, at 11:59pm EST. The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. Required documents include a cover letter, addressed to the United States Attorney, Nicholas J. Ganjei, and a writing sample, no more than 20 pages demonstrating your ability to write persuasively.