Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana is considered a medium sized district and has offices located in Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula. The Criminal Division prosecutes a wide range of federal cases involving immigration, terrorism, domestic and international narcotics distribution, illegal firearm possession, violent crime, child exploitation/child pornography, human trafficking, organized crime, complex securities and fraud cases, health care fraud, and public corruption. Those matters include the prosecution of violent crimes and other cases on most of Montana's Native American Reservations, including homicide, sexual and non-sexual assault, burglary, drug distribution, and fraud. The Civil Division prosecutes and defends affirmative and defensive cases filed in the District of Montana, at both the trial an appellate level, involving matters such as health care, civil rights, the environment, false claims, immigration, tort and discrimination claims against the sovereign, the internet, telecommunications, energy policies, and the First Amendment. AUSAs are assigned to a unit within either the criminal or civil divisions.

The casework for this position would entail the investigation and prosecution of matters ranging from drug distribution including trafficking on reservations, criminal immigration, violent crime, illegal firearm possession, organized crime, human trafficking, child exploitation/child pornography, and economic/fraud crimes, with primary emphasis on drug trafficking, firearms, immigration, and violent crime. The successful candidate for this position will work in the Missoula branch office and may be assigned to act as a liaison between a reservation and the United States Attorney. The qualified applicant would be expected to (a) assist federal law enforcement agents in structuring and implementing criminal investigative plans and strategies; (b) actively participate in grand jury proceedings, including the presentation of witnesses before the grand jury; (c) litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision; (d) write and argue appeals; and (e) handle additional point of contact assignments based on the office's needs.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your 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. 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.

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. 545 for district specific information.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and must currently be an active member of a state bar in order to be considered. Proof of an active bar membership and copy of Diploma or transcripts are highly encouraged. One (1) full year of postgraduate legal experience, or other relevant experience, is required.

United States citizenship is required.

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

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.

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: 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 date J.D. was awarded and date of Bar Admission. 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.

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Next steps