Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA)

Hiring Organization
USAO District of Columbia
Hiring Office
Appellate Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-DC-12843583-AUSA

Location:
601 D Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20530 - United States

Application Deadline:
Friday, December 19, 2025
About the Office

The Appellate Division at the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia has primary responsibility for the direct appeals of criminal convictions in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Job Description

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is unique in the size and the scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. On the local side, AUSAs assigned to the Superior Court Division prosecute cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia ranging from misdemeanors to homicides, and appeals of those convictions are argued in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (DCCA). On the federal side, AUSAs assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute federal crimes in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and appeals of those convictions are argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. AUSAs assigned to the Appellate Division argue the direct appeals of all criminal convictions in both the local and federal Courts of Appeal. AUSAs in the Special Proceedings Division handle post-trial litigation involving habeas claims, record sealing, and other requests for extraordinary relief in the trial courts. The Civil Division further defends the United States in civil suits brought in the District of Columbia.

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia is accepting applications for attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Office's Appellate Division. The position involves significant legal writing responsibilities, including preparation of internal memoranda, briefs for trial courts and the courts of appeals, and other court filings. Appellate AUSAs will participate in moot courts and handle oral arguments before the appellate courts. Appellate AUSAs may also assist in trial-level litigation in cases of unusual complexity or importance.

AUSAs must possess the qualities necessary to excel in their mission to enforce the laws of the District of Columbia and the United States. These qualities include advocacy and communication skills; superior writing and analytical skills; the ability to manage a high-volume docket; and dedication to duty. Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, investigative agencies, witnesses, and crime victims. They must also demonstrate their willingness to meet the high ethical standards expected of prosecutors in their interactions with opposing counsel and the courts.

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

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

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

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. 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.

This position is located in Washington, D.C.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience.

You must be a United States Citizen or National.

Preferred Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have a minimum GPA of 3.0, appellate litigation experience and/or substantive expertise in criminal law. Judicial clerkships, law review, moot court, clinical experience, and experience working cooperatively with a range of people are also preferred.

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

Application Process

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/19/2025 to receive consideration.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)
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: A Cover Letter.
• Required: 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.

• Required: Unofficial or official law school transcript. (Please do not submit a restricted pdf document with encryption or password security).
• Require: Writing Sample ((such as an appellate brief, substantive brief, or memorandum) that reflects your own work an does not exceed a total of 25 pages).
• 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.

3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia at or email at USADC.Staffers@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia who can be reached at or USADC.Staffers@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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Salary

Salary Information: This is an excepted service attorney appointment under an Administrative Determined pay scale. (See www.justice.gov/usao/career-center/salary-information/administratively-determined-pay-plan-charts). 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 $84,601 to $195,100 which includes 33.94% locality pay. For additional information on salary and benefits, visit www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorney-salaries-promotions-and-benefits.

Other 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.

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. 545 for district-specific information.

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.

Political Appointees (Current and Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

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.

Travel: This position will require minimal travel.

EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.