Assistant U.S. Attorney (Criminal)

Hiring Organization
USAO Eastern District of Virginia
Hiring Office
Criminal Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent

Location:
Alexandria, VA 22314 - United States

Application Deadline:
Thursday, April 30, 2026
About the Office

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia has four offices which are located in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and Newport News. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) are assigned to each of these offices to prosecute criminal cases and litigate civil cases. The district consists of more than 19,000 square miles, has a population of over six million, and includes numerous federal agencies (including the Defense Department and the CIA), military installations, and major airports. The Office has over 100 criminal AUSAs who handle a wide variety of complex cases, including drug trafficking and money-laundering crimes, terrorism-related offenses, firearms and other violent crime offenses, cybercrimes, environmental crimes, and a variety of fraud and white-collar offenses.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service

For more information on the Department of Justice and the USAOs, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html

Job Description

An appointment as an AUSA with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia ("office) offers unique and challenging experiences for highly motivated attorneys: an opportunity to work on their own caseload and handle their own trials and appeals as a representative of the United States. The district is hiring for AUSAs in the Criminal Division within all four offices. Selectees may be assigned to one of the units listed below based of management decision and experience.

Units: Appellate, Majors Crimes, Cybercrime, Financial Crimes & Public Corruption, National Security & International Crime, Narcotics Trafficking & Money Laundering, Drug/Violent Crimes, White Collar, Asset Recovery, and General Crimes

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

This position will require travel to other EDVA offices for court appearances and case assignments as needed.

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: Experience litigating criminal cases in the federal courts and/or a federal judicial clerkship is desirable. Equivalent experience litigating in state courts will also be considered. Experience litigating violent crime cases is preferred.

Political Appointees (Current or 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.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted online through the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/849538800 by closing of 11:59pm on April 30, 2026 .

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.

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 Attorneys’ pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay for non-supervisory (line) AUSA positions will be $67,863 to $165,209, plus locality pay.