Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

Hiring Organization
USAO Western District of North Carolina
Hiring Office
Civil Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-NCW-12849255-AUSA

Location:
227 W. Trade Street, Suite 1650
Charlotte, NC 28202 - United States

Application Deadline:
Sunday, January 4, 2026
About the Office

The United States Attorney's Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Western District of North Carolina. This includes all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The district extends over 13,563.9 square miles and includes 32 counties. The population of our district is over three million people. Mecklenburg is the largest county in WDNC with over one million people. Graham is the smallest with just over 8,000 people. Charlotte is the largest city in the state, the 2nd largest banking center in America, and has a metropolitan area of 1.8 million people. Half of the great Smoky Mountains National Park, approximately 800 square miles is in the Western District of North Carolina as well as 250 of the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Pisgah and Nantahala Forest cover over one million acres of our district. The largest Native American Community in the eastern half of the United States, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is in WDNC.

Job Description

The office is accepting applications for a permanent Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) opening in our Civil Division in the Charlotte office. The AUSA will be responsible for conducting a wide range of civil litigation including defensive litigation involving the Federal Torts Claims Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, Title VII, constitutional torts, and other areas of the law, as well as responsible for civil rights litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights statutes. An important part of the AUSA's duties will be financial litigation on behalf of the United States involving the collection of restitution owed to crime victims and debts owed to the United States. The attorney will be required to appear in federal district court, bankruptcy court, and state court. Secondary responsibilities may include defensive civil litigation and affirmative civil litigation, based upon the current needs of the office.

Individuals applying for the position must have strong leadership skills, possess a strong work ethic, exhibit good organizational skills, exercise fair and sound judgment, pay careful attention to facts and details, work well both independently and on a team, be ready and willing to volunteer to help other attorneys, possess excellent negotiation skills, have very strong ability to analyze complex legal and factual issues, write clearly and persuasively, and represent the Government's interests at hearings and trials before the United States District Court.

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 1* year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:
Hiring preferences include at least five (5) years of civil litigation experience, although we consider applicants with varied litigation backgrounds. Candidates must possess strong academic credentials, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal research and writing skills, quick analytical ability to accurately and precisely articulate critical case-related issues, courtroom experience, good interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with client agencies, support staff and other attorneys, and a demonstrated commitment to public service. Candidates with a license to practice law in North Carolina or the ability to obtain such a license in the near future are preferred because of the state court practice involved in the AUSA's assigned duties.

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

Application Process

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/04/2026 to receive consideration.

Applications will only be accepted through USAjobs website at:

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/852316900

• Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
• Required: Writing Sample
• 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, 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.

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: 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 $75,587 to $195,200 which includes 19.67% locality pay.

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.