Assistant United States Attorney - Civil Rights Criminal

Profile

The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York, which encompasses 17 counties: Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Yates, Steuben, Schuyler and Chemung. With Offices in Buffalo and Rochester, the United States Attorney is the principal Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the District and prosecutes all violations of the Federal Criminal Law. The Office also represents every Federal agency in civil cases and matters.

For specific information pertaining to this District, please visit:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny

 Location(s) of vacancies: Buffalo, New York Office. Based on staffing needs, additional appointments may be made from this announcement.

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.

Job Description:

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York is seeking to hire an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) who will be responsible for representing the United States in the investigation and prosecution of Federal civil rights matters, including hate crimes, color of law prosecutions, and human trafficking. The Civil Rights AUSA will  investigate and prosecute cases involving the criminal interference with liberties and rights defined in the Constitution or federal law. Civil rights enforcement is central to the mission of the Office.

The AUSA will review and analyze allegations of criminal civil rights violations; develop strategies for investigations; coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies to ensure that cases are investigated thoroughly and effectively; develop testimonial and documentary evidence relevant to cases; present evidence to federal grand juries; identify relevant legal issues in cases and investigations; recommend for or against federal prosecution; meet and confer with officials from the Department of Justice, other federal, state, and local government agencies, and interested non-governmental organizations; and establish good working relationships with partners and federal investigative agencies nationwide.

In addition, the AUSA will prepare and present cases for prosecution, to include preparing indictments, motions, pleadings, and briefs; conducting pretrial discovery and motions practice; developing testimonial and documentary evidence for trial; and conducting every aspect of trial preparation and trial presentation in federal criminal cases.

The AUSA will also handle non-litigation matters that arise in relation to the Division's mission of investigating and prosecuting criminal civil rights and cases. These non-litigation duties will include education and outreach to the public, law enforcement partners, and stakeholder communities such as participating in strategy and coordination meetings; conducting legal trainings and public presentations; and meeting with interested persons regarding prosecutorial decisions.

For some matters, AUSAs will also have the opportunity to work closely with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have  at least two (2) years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience

. The District seeks attorneys who have outstanding legal ability, high moral character, mature judgment, and demonstrated excellence in criminal and/or civil trials.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have (1) legal practice experience related to criminal prosecution, from either the prosecutorial or defense perspective or both; (2) quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues involved with a case; (3) superior oral and writing skills, as well as strong research and interpersonal skills; (4) ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with the court, other attorneys, support staff and client agencies, and have the ability to manage and prioritize a sizable and growing workload and to meet deadlines under pressure; (5) capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment; and (6) excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research, electronic court filing, electronic e-mail and word processing systems.

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

United States citizenship is required.

Salary:

Assistant United States Attorneys pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $59,319 - $139,183 (AD 21-AD 29) plus authorized locality.

Travel:

Occasional travel to the Rochester, NY office, Washington, DC, and Columbia, SC for training. Additional travel as required.

Application Process:

Applications can be submitted online through the following: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/727921700

Ad will remain open until filled. Please see the How To Apply

section of the vacancy announcement.

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.

Relocation Expenses:

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Number of Positions:

One (1); Based on staffing needs, additional appointments may be made from this announcement.

Updated May 24, 2023

Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity

:  The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.  Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor.  The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full  EEO Statement

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.

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. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority.  Individuals with 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 immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.

Veterans

:  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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. 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,  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 their 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).

USAO Residency Requirement

:  Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof.  See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.

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.

Footer Menu Justice

First Column

en ESPAÑOL

Contact DOJ

Second Column

Archive

Accessibility

Information Quality

Company info

Department of Justice - United States Attorneys' Office Western District of New York
Website : http://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny