The Eastern District of Tennessee is comprised of 55 attorneys located in three staffed offices: Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Greeneville. The District enjoys a challenging mix of cases, a friendly and talented staff, and excellent agency relationships. The District is located in a temperate climate zone, with four distinct, gentle seasons. The area is surrounded by four national parks and numerous lakes, which are a part of the Tennessee River basin.
Duties
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee is seeking applications from experienced attorneys with a strong background in criminal prosecution for an Assistant United States Attorney vacancy in the Criminal Division. This position is focused on the promotion of public safety in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The incumbent will be primarily responsible for prosecuting and directing the investigation of criminal activities posing threats to the community, including violent crimes, complex drug-trafficking crimes, and organized crime. The incumbent may also be called upon to prosecute and lead investigations into related matters involving official corruption, fraud, money laundering, and criminal immigration offenses. Duties include independently researching legal issues, drafting high-quality briefs, providing superior oral advocacy on behalf of the United States, and forging strong partnerships with law enforcement to identify and disrupt criminal activities within the District and beyond. The incumbent will be expected to handle all stages of criminal litigation, including regular appearances before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Applicants should have courtroom experience arguing motions and conducting trials, possess outstanding analytical abilities, and be able to articulate critical legal issues clearly and succinctly both in written pleadings and in court. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. This position is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 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. Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information. 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.
Salary
Qualifications
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from an accredited law school, be an active member of the bar (any U. S. jurisdiction) and have at least three (3) years post-J.D. legal experience and exceptional computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic email and word processing systems. Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should possess superior communication and courtroom skills, exhibit exceptional research and writing ability, perform thorough legal and factual analyses, demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, exercise good judgment, and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. Applicants should exhibit the ability to work in a professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies. United States citizenship is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree.
Required Documents
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 - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year). (cover letter optional). 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. The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Eastern District of Tennessee who can be reached at (865) 225-1619 or Cheryl.Lykens@usdoj.gov Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. ยง 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs. Suitability and Citizenship: 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. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is 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. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/18/2025 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to 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 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 Eastern District of Tennessee at (865) 225-1619 or email at Cheryl.Lykens@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
