Assistant U.S. Attorney-Criminal-IC/VC

Profile

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota serves the entire state of Minnesota, with offices located in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

This position is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Office's team of federal prosecutors prosecutes cases on behalf of the United States and places a high priority on assembling a diverse team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) with varied backgrounds, experiences, and skills. On a daily basis, Criminal Division AUSAs are required to make impactful strategic decisions in cases involving violent crime, complex frauds, human trafficking, national security, and many other matters in collaboration with their colleagues and their law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney's Office believes that its team of federal prosecutors make better, fairer, and more just decisions when its judgments are the product of a vigorous dialogue among a collaborative and diverse group of their peers.

In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers/html

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 United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota seeks motivated and prosecution-minded attorneys to join our office in two priority areas:  1) Indian Country; and 2) Violent Crime. 

We are expanding our Indian Country team, which prosecutes crimes on behalf of Minnesota’s eleven federally recognized tribes, including on the Red Lake, Bois Forte, White Earth, and Mille Lacs reservations. The work includes sexual assault, homicide, narcotics, and child abuse prosecutions. The team will also have a focus on investigating and prosecuting cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons. Attorneys joining this team will be part of a passionate, committed group serving Indian Country in our state, and will work with Tribal, federal, and state law enforcement and victim advocates. Due to the location of the Tribes, travel throughout the state is required in this position.

The Office is also expanding its team of attorneys working on violent crime and gang cases. Prosecutors assigned to this section will investigate and prosecute cases involving firearms, carjacking, bank robbery, complex criminal organizations, and other violent crimes.

While this announcement seeks attorneys interested in two focused criminal division areas, individuals hired as AUSAS are assigned to sections with the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney’s discretion.  The Office also an active open and continuous job announcement (23-MN-11856298-AUSA-CRM ) that generally seeks attorneys interested in joining our Criminal Division in any of its sections.  Applicants may apply to both announcements if interested in both.

AUSAs in the Office's Criminal Division serve the goal of doing justice by fairly enforcing the criminal laws of the United States. Criminal AUSAs must exercise reasoned judgment in making criminal charging decisions, coordinating federal criminal investigations with the Office's law enforcement partners, and litigating and trying complex cases in federal court. Candidates must be capable of handling significant and complex criminal prosecutions. This responsibility regularly entails working with voluminous discovery and mastering challenging legal concepts. Candidates should demonstrate strong analytical ability, high quality legal writing and research skills, effective communication and advocacy skills, and a strong commitment to public service.

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

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.

Residency Requirements

Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See

28 U.S.C. sec. 545 for district-specific information.

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.

Qualifications:

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. sec. 545 for district specific information.

All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

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.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Ideal candidates will have two or more of the following:

Current or prior experience as an AUSA or in another prosecutorial role,

Experience with Indian Country law,

Experience prosecuting complex and long-term investigations, including of criminal street gangs,

Experience litigating cases in federal or state courts, with responsibility for investigation, discovery, and trial,

Exceptional written and oral advocacy skills.

Applicants must also demonstrate the following:

Desire to work as an AUSA in the District of Minnesota.

Commitment to excellence, strong work ethic, and drive, which may be demonstrated through successful teamwork, leadership, obstacles overcome, and personal, academic, and professional achievement.

Quick analytical ability and the facility to articulate the critical issues accurately and precisely in a case.

Excellent communication and courtroom skills, as well as the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and partner law enforcement agencies.

Capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment and be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings.

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

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree

Additional information

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.

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.

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.

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.

Required Documents

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 - Cover letter to include a statement as to why you are applying to be an AUSA, and if you have a preference to serve as an Indian Country or Violent Crime prosecutor, please indicate.

Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include month/year).

Required - Transcript from Law School in which your J.D. was awarded.

Required - A writing sample, not to exceed ten (10) pages, preferably a legal brief filed in court or an excerpt.

Required – A list of at least three (3) professional references with contact information. Letters of recommendation may be included and will be requested later in the recruitment process.

Required, if applicable - A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action),showing title, series, grade, and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

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.

Salary:

Salary Information: 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 $74,973 to $183,400, which includes 26.49% locality pay.

Travel:

For Indian Country positions: 3 to 7 nights of travel per month. For Violent Crime positions: 1 to 5 nights of travel required per month.

Application Process:

Applications are being accepted via USAJobs at: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/728435000

The point of contact for this vacancy announcement is Rasheda Devaney, Human Resources Officer, who can be reached at 612-272-8264 or Rasheda.Devaney@usdoj.gov.

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.

Application Deadline:

Friday, June 30, 2023

Relocation Expenses:

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Number of Positions:

1 or more.

Updated May 26, 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.

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The United States Attorney's Office, Civil Division
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