The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is comprised of 166 attorneys located in three offices: Newark, Trenton, and Camden. The USAO has jurisdiction and responsibility over a broad range of subject matter areas, all of which involve advancing the criminal and civil legal interests of the federal government. Positions are located in Newark, Trenton, or Camden.
Duties
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is seeking attorneys, including attorneys with 1 to 3 years of legal experience, to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Criminal and Civil Divisions to support priority litigation needs within the Office. In the near term, these AUSAs will work primarily in the Civil Division representing the United States, its agencies, and employees in matters including habeas corpus petitions filed by illegal aliens and related post-conviction litigation. Additional responsibilities may include matters involving compassionate release, sentence reductions, and other federal litigation, as operational needs require. These positions offer attorneys the opportunity to gain substantial federal litigation experience and, over time, transition into broader assignments within the Civil or Criminal Divisions consistent with the Office's evolving needs. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey is seeking to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) positions to staff a newly formed Special Programs Unit, which will focus on a mix of criminal and civil programs. The selected AUSAs will begin their work primarily in the Civil Division to represent the United States, its agencies, and employees with respect to petitions for habeas corpus filed by illegal aliens. In addition, the selected AUSAs may represent the United States in matters including, but not limited to, motions for post-conviction release filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, motions for compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c), motions for early termination of supervised release under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e), and motions for reduction of sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) and the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Amendment 821. AUSAs also may assist in filter reviews, tax matters, and asset forfeiture issues in the Criminal Division, as needs arise, and change over time. AUSAs must serve as effective and dedicated advocates for the government's interests, timely and efficiently pursue the just resolution of their assigned cases and make sound and legally supportable decisions toward those ends. They must possess the foresight and organizational and legal skills needed to manage a large and diverse caseload that can, at times, involve lengthy and difficult litigation. They must be able to identify the relevant legal and factual issues in their assigned cases, and to develop and implement effective strategies for all proceedings in those cases, including motions practice, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, pretrial matters, trials and appeals. They must be able to work well with their colleagues, supervisors, support staff, and witnesses. They must have strong legal research skills, be able to produce high quality written work even under short deadlines and be persuasive oral advocates. Newly hired AUSAs are expected to quickly develop subject matter expertise in their regular practice, and to possess or rapidly acquire expert-level knowledge of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the US Sentencing Guidelines. Responsibilities may increase and assignments become more complex as training and experience progress, with potential to transfer as a general AUSA in the Civil or Criminal Divisions depending on performance and the needs of the office. 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
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. 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 cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job: Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade), Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. - Required - Cover letter. - Required - Writing sample - 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. 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. § 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 above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/19/2026 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 District of New Jersey at 9736452810 or email at kaydawn.clark@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
