Trial Attorney

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture (MNF) Section pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

Duties

The incumbent serves as a Trial Attorney in one of the below MNF units. Applicants should identify in their cover letter any preference as to which MNF unit they would prefer to be assigned.

The Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

The Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.

The International Unit investigates and prosecutes cross-border money laundering schemes involving transnational criminal organizations, cartels, foreign official corruption and related money laundering affecting the U.S. financial system and prosecutes criminal cases and civil forfeiture matters to recover the proceeds of those crimes.

As a Trial Attorney, the incumbent:

• Independently investigates and prosecutes criminal offenses within MNF's mission, and pursues related criminal and civil asset forfeitures;
• Leads complex investigations in districts throughout the United States;
• Utilizes sophisticated law enforcement techniques to obtain evidence from various sources and jurisdictions;
• Partners effectively with U.S. Attorney's Offices and law enforcement agencies to advance investigations and prosecutions;
• Recommends charging decisions and proposes dispositions in accordance with Department, Division, and Section policies and practices;
• Produces discovery, prepares for trial, and tries cases in federal courts throughout the United States;
• Briefs supervisors to include unit management, as well as the Section Chief and Principal Deputy Chief, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and the Assistant Attorney General as necessary, on the status of all cases and matters;
• Maintains positive and effective relationships with law enforcement partners; and
• Advises federal agents and prosecutors on complicated questions of law and Department policy;
• Collaborates professionally with paralegals and administrative personnel;
• Mentors and advises more junior attorneys; and
• Participates in outreach and training with law enforcement and prosecution partners throughout the United States and abroad.

Salary

• $169,279 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• All male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the selective service. If selected, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• A two-year trial period may be required.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, 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, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least four (4) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff.

Preferred Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience in complex investigations and litigation, and the skills and knowledge necessary to bring large, difficult, and complex cases to trial; the ability to write clear and persuasive criminal pleadings at the district court and appellate level; skills in legal research, issue spotting, and legal analysis; attention to detail; ability to conduct concise yet thorough oral briefings; and the ability to exercise sound judgment. In addition, the successful candidate must have strong interpersonal and leadership skills, and the ability to work successfully in a team setting.

In the Bank Integrity Unit: Experience with criminal offenses involving financial institutions and their officers, employees, and agents, including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, the Money Laundering Control Act, and U.S. sanctions regimes (such as IEEPA and TWEA), and pursuing related asset forfeitures.

In the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit: Experience with complex money laundering involving third party, professional money laundering organizations, including entities that launder for drug cartels, fraudsters, and human trafficking/human smuggling groups, and with criminal and civil forfeiture actions.

In the International Unit: Experience with complex, sensitive, and high-profile criminal and civil investigations and cases involving international money laundering, transnational criminal organizations, foreign corruption, or sanctions evasion; obtaining foreign based evidence; conducting criminal and civil discovery; and civil forfeiture proceedings.

Education A J.D., or equivalent, degree. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management. Other Information Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement. The Criminal Division participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. 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. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website. It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please reach out to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov or (202) 514-0361 for alternative application procedures. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at CRM.RA@usdoj.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Fair Chance to Compete: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act. Required Documents

See "How to Apply"

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes the Assessment Questionnaire and the Required Documents indicated below. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on 10/21/2026.

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13070290.

You are strongly encouraged to convert your resume to an Adobe PDF file prior to submitting your application, especially if you are submitting using a Mac system. Resumes not pre-converted to a PDF file will undergo conversion by the system. This conversion process may cause some formatting changes to your resume, including line and page break errors. To ensure your submitted resume does not display with formatting issues, please submit your resume as a PDF. This error does not affect USAjobs resumes.

A complete application package must include:

1. Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
2. Resume - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Your resume must be no more than 2 pages. Resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted. Please ensure all information you believe is qualifying for the position is contained within your resume, or you may be marked ineligible. Additionally, your resume must include your JD date and the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week).
3. Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
4. Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
5. Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. 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.
6. Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - The Criminal Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. The Criminal Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to CRM's disability POC at crm.schedulea@usdoj.gov.
7. Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable):

• If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives at www.archives.gov/veterans.
• If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
• If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable. If you don't have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-started-with-va/ or call 1-800-827-1000.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire.

Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the process.