Assistant United States Attorney

Hiring Organization
United States Attorney's Office (USAO)
Hiring Office
Middle District of Tennessee Civil Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-TNM-20251217-CIV AUSA

Location:
719 Church Street
Suite 3300
Nashville, TN 37203 - United States

Application Deadline:
Monday, May 18, 2026
About the Office

The U.S Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is seeking an experienced and motivated attorney to serve in the Civil Division handling primarily civil bankruptcy matters. This is a continuous announcement with multiple cut-off dates. First cut off is Monday January 5, 2026 and as needed until position is filled.

More information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/usao/tnm/

Job Description

Responsibilities will include objecting to bankruptcy plans proposed under chapter 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, reviewing (and opposing where necessary) proposed asset sales in bankruptcy, prosecuting motions to dismiss or convert bankruptcy cases from one chapter to another, protecting federal agencies' interest in cash collateral, obtaining determinations regarding the discharge ability of federal debts, and responding to objections to federal agencies' claims.

The position will also require defending the following types of lawsuits filed in Bankruptcy Court: (i) complaints to determine the discharge ability of federal debts, (ii) complaints to determine the extent, validity or priority of federal liens, and (iii) complaints to recover pre-bankruptcy payments to federal agencies.

Typical agencies represented include the Department of Treasury (including the IRS), the Department of Health and Human Services, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Education.

The candidate may be assigned other financial and debt collection litigation matters, according to office needs. Candidate must work independently and serve as effective and dedicated advocates for the government's interest, timely and efficiently pursue the just resolution of their assigned cases and make sound and legally supportable decisions. The candidate must possess the foresight and organizational and legal skills needed to manage a diverse caseload that involves both a high volume and complex cases. They must be able to identify the relevant legal and factual issues in their assigned cases, and to develop and implement effective strategies for all proceedings in those cases, including motions practice, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, trial, and appeal. They must be able to work well with their colleagues, supervisors, support staff, and witnesses. They must have strong legal research skills, be able to produce high-quality written work even under short deadlines and be persuasive oral advocates. Newly hired AUSAs are expected to quickly develop subject matter expertise and possess or rapidly acquire expert-level knowledge of the bankruptcy procedures and other applicable rules and laws.

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

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 3 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:
Hiring for Assistant U.S. Attorney positions is highly competitive. The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest. Superior academic credentials, excellent research and writing skills, a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Successful candidates must be computer proficient, capable of doing their own legal research and writing, and self-sufficient in preparing day to day correspondence and pleadings. Bankruptcy experience is preferred.

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

Application Process

Applicants must apply online at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/852954100 : Please be sure to read the announcement through it’s entirety prior to applying.

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: Resume and cover letter. Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:

Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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. 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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Salary

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 $95,000 to $150,000 which includes a 17.06% locality for the Nashville area.