Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal)

Hiring Organization
USAO Northern District of Florida
Hiring Office
Criminal Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/845899800

Location:
300 E University Ave STE 310
Gainesville, FL 32601 - United States

Application Deadline:
Friday, September 26, 2025
About the Office

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida (NDFL) is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Florida. This includes 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.

This position is located in Gainesville, FL.

Job Description

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a talented workforce of over 100,000 people, the mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens.

Considered a medium-sized district, the NDFL encompasses 23 of Florida's 67 counties, and currently employs approximately 55 staff members, to include 28 Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs), with the main office located in Tallahassee and two branch offices in Pensacola and Gainesville.

Positions will be staffed in the Criminal Division in the Gainesville Office.

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.

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.

All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis.

The Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida (NDFL) is seeking applications from experienced attorneys with superb research, writing, and oral advocacy skills, as well as a background in the practice of criminal law, to fill one (1) Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancies in the NDFL Criminal Division.

The NDFL spans the 23 counties of the Florida Panhandle, with offices in Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Gainesville. The AUSA vacancy will be filled in the Gainesville office.

The core responsibilities of the position require a candidate who will efficiently and accurately perform legal research, draft legal documents, and present legal arguments in court; direct law enforcement investigations to develop, present, and resolve criminal cases with close collaboration between our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners; and perform additional roles on an as-needed basis while representing and zealously advocating on behalf of the United States Government in the robust prosecution of criminal offenses.

The successful candidate must possess a strong work ethic, superior legal acumen, and demonstrate a prosecutor's professional temperament, judgment, and unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and zealously pursuing criminal offenders while respecting the constitutional rights of the accused. Each AUSA is expected to conduct themselves according to the highest standard of professional ethics at all times.

The successful candidate will lead by example, demonstrate initiative to proactively develop and manage cases, possess a strong ability to work both collaboratively with colleagues and individually, build professional relationships with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and be willing to assume increasing levels of responsibility within the office.

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

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:
A minimum of three (3) years of recent criminal litigation experience is desired. Preferred applicants should possess exceptional analytical ability, judgment, and advocacy skills, as well as a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Finally, preferred applicants must possess the ability to manage investigations and cases of a complex and varying nature.

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

Application Process

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.

Veterans' Preference: 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 indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. 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, http://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 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).

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.

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 $79,440.00 to $193,393.00 which includes 17.06% 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.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses may be authorized.

Recruitment Incentive may be authorized.

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.

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.

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