Assistant United States Attorney - Criminal

Hiring Organization
USAO Western District of Louisiana
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-LAW-12853552-AUSA

Location:
800 Lafayette Street
Suite 2200
Lafayette, LA 70501 - United States

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

The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana is committed to ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. The goal every day is to do justice in each and every case handled by the district.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

We embrace the goals and priorities of the Attorney General and seek to achieve and effect those goals and objectives.

We will strive to build a stronger office through recruitment efforts and maintain the high standards of the office by promoting professional development.

We seek to build a legacy of excellence.

In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner.

Job Description

The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana, is seeking applicants from qualified attorneys to fill vacancies in our Criminal Division in our Lafayette Criminal Division as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). AUSAs located in the Criminal Division of our office will be responsible for prosecution of all types of crimes under federal law ranging from criminal immigration enforcement and alien smuggling, violent offenses, public safety concerns, narcotic trafficking, cartel and transnational organizations, as well as complex white-collar crime, public corruptions, investment schemes, and firearms violations pursuant to the Administration and Department priorities.

Generally, a Criminal AUSA:
Handles case development and management of all phases of investigation and litigation, including, but not limited to, the use of grand jury, advising federal law enforcement agents, preparing appropriate pleadings, litigating motions, and conducting trials in U.S. District Court;
Efficiently and defensibly manage incoming and outgoing case materials through all phases of discovery; and litigate cases of moderate to high complexity from start to finish with limited supervision.
In collaboration with Division managers, develop and maintain the assigned caseload in a timely and efficient manner to foster effective district investigation and prosecution of violations, including advising on strategy and legal complexities, and developing litigation priorities, policy and legislative recommendations.

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 duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, have at least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience, and be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Preferred Qualifications: Ideal applicants should demonstrate superior communication and courtroom skills, possess superior legal research and writing skills, implement exceptional research and writing ability, perform thorough legal and factual analysis, demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, exercise good judgment, demonstrate the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with agencies, support staff and other attorney, and exemplify commitment to public service. Applicants should have a strong work ethic and demonstrated capacity to function, with minimum guidance, in a highly demanding environment while balancing a heavy case load.

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

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.

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.

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

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

your performance and conduct;
the needs and interests of the agency;
whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Application Process

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

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

1. To begin, click 25-LAW-12853552-AUSA to Apply Online/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.)

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 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 - Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages. 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 accomplished.
Required - Writing sample - Not to exceed 15 pages
Required - Unofficial law school transcript
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.

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 Keshia Carey at 318-676-3624 or email at Keshia.Carey@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

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 $63,163 to $148,202 plus locality pay currently at 17.06%.

Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, situational 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.