Civil Assistant United States Attorney

Hiring Organization
USAO Western District of Wisconsin
Hiring Office
Civil Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent

Location:
222 West Washington Ave. Suite 700
Madison, WI 53703 - United States

Application Deadline:
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
About the Office

The United States Attorney's Office both defends and prosecutes the interests of the United States in civil cases and prosecutes criminal offenses. The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin is in Madison, Wisconsin.

Job Description

The United States Attorney’s Office is seeking candidates to fill a full-time Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) position in its Civil Division. The position offers the opportunity to perform public service, and to investigate and litigate a broad range of complex and challenging affirmative and defensive cases.

AUSAs in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the United States as primary or secondary counsel in federal, state, and bankruptcy court proceedings. This AUSA will defend the United States in employment discrimination cases, tort cases, and medical malpractice cases. This AUSA will also defend the federal government and its officials from constitutional and procedural challenges, including Bivens cases. This AUSA may also investigate and prosecute affirmative civil matters, including suits brought under the False Claims Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and other civil penalty actions. Assignments will include all aspects of civil litigation, including researching legal issues, drafting and responding to discovery requests, conducting document review and organization, taking and defending depositions, preparing dispositive and procedural motions, and handling trials and appeals.

This AUSA may also be assigned additional duties at the discretion of the United States Attorney. Such case assignments may include, but are not limited to, habeas corpus cases, actions brought under the Freedom of Information Act, actions seeking federal court review of the administrative actions of federal agencies, actions to defend and/or enforce subpoenas, and the collection of debts owed to the government, including foreclosure, and student loan cases.

For all Civil Division AUSAs, responsibilities will increase, and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

We may use this vacancy to fill other vacant AUSA positions.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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.

Qualifications

Required qualifications: Applicants must have a J.D. degree, be U.S. citizens, be active members of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and not have received any disciplinary action within the past five years from the date of the application. A minimum of two (2) years of post J.D. litigation or other relevant experience is required.

Applicants must be devoted to justice, excellence, and public service; have a very strong ability to research and analyze complex legal and factual issues; write clearly and persuasively; communicate effectively; possess a strong work ethic; exhibit good organizational skills; exercise fair and sound judgment; pay careful attention to facts and details; possess computer and electronic discovery knowledge; work well both independently and on a team; be willing to volunteer to help other attorneys; be able to negotiate effectively with opposing counsel; and be capable of trial work and appellate advocacy.

Preferred qualifications: Because the AUSA will represent the United States’ interests in state court proceedings, preferred qualifications will include candidates who are members of the Wisconsin Bar or who are eligible for immediate Admission on Proof of Practice into the Wisconsin Bar.

Application Process

Interested persons should address a cover letter, writing sample (10 pages or less), and resume (not to exceed two pages), all in pdf format, to the attention of Acting United States Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma. Applicants should apply for the position at: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/850336800

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 total pay is $73,939 to $193,394 which includes 17.06% locality pay.