Assistant United States Attorney

Summary Assistant United States Attorneys prosecute all criminal and civil cases brought by the federal government and defend the United States in civil cases. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Responsibilities Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Defensive Litigation Unit (DLU) represent the United States when it is sued in the District of Massachusetts. AUSAs in the DLU are general civil litigators because they defend the United States in a wide variety of cases that can include employment discrimination and retaliation claims, tort actions including complex medical malpractice cases, lawsuits filed under the Administrative Procedures Act, FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) litigation, Bivens and other constitutional claims, and various immigration and prisoner habeas petitions. AUSAs within the DLU are responsible for defending government agencies and their employees when authorized within the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. AUSAs are expected to conduct general discovery including, but not limited to, responding to complaints, petitions, appearing in court for all aspects of litigation, conducting depositions, drafting dispositive motions, counseling agencies regarding general litigation strategy, preparing for and trying both bench and jury trials, and drafting appellate briefs and arguing before the First Circuit. The work in this unit will include practice before both the Massachusetts District Court and the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (in any jurisdiction), and have at least three years post-J.D. legal experience. Preferred qualifications: Five years of experience as a civil attorney, superior academic credentials, and excellent writing and oral advocacy skills. In court experience and substantive immigration experience preferred. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree Additional Information 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 $86,923 to $197,100. 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 will not 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. Travel: Travel within the district and outside of the district may be required. 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. Political Appointees (Current and Former): 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. 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. EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

Created: 2026-02-20