Assistant United States Attorney (Money Laundering and Asset Recovery)

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan seeks a highly motivated litigator to work as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Unit of the Criminal Division. This position is located in Detroit, Michigan. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This is a term appointment not-to-exceed 09/30/2029. This position may be made permanent without further competition.

Duties

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan seeks a highly motivated litigator to work as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Unit of the Criminal Division.

While the Criminal Division handles a wide range of cases, this position is focused on pursuing civil and criminal forfeiture of property acquired through or used in criminal activity. The primary goals of the unit are to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains and to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims when authorized under federal law. The effective use of both civil and criminal forfeiture is an essential component of the Department of Justice's efforts to disrupt criminal conduct and dismantle criminal organizations.

Asset Recovery AUSAs are responsible for managing all forfeiture-related aspects of federal criminal prosecutions and civil forfeiture litigation. Day-to-day responsibilities include, but are not limited to, working with law enforcement agencies on criminal investigations, obtaining seizure warrants, preparing and filing pleadings, researching and briefing legal issues, drafting motions or motion responses, representing the United States in Court, and handling all aspects of civil forfeiture cases including conducting depositions and other civil discovery. Cases range from offenses involving cybercrime; complex fraud and/or corruption in government, health care, or corporate activities; drug trafficking and smuggling; elder abuse; national security and border security; and money laundering.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress. More experienced AUSAs may lead money laundering investigations, bring appropriate criminal charges, and resolve or try those criminal cases. The AUSA will also serve as a resource to other Criminal Division AUSAs on bringing money laundering charges, conducting financial investigations, and analyzing forfeiture issues.

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

• $84,655 - $197,100/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
• Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
• This is a term appointment not-to-exceed 09/30/2029. This position may be made permanent without further competition.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, AND be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), AND have at least 2 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

Proof of active bar membership is required.

United States citizenship is required. For additional information regarding citizenship, refer to the "Suitability and Citizenship" requirements in the "Required Documents" section below.

Preferred Qualifications:
The attorney must have a very strong ability to analyze complex legal and factual issues, write clearly and persuasively, possess a strong work ethic, exhibit good organizational skills, exercise fair and sound judgment, pay careful attention to facts and details, work well both independently and on a team, be ready and willing to volunteer to help other attorneys, be able to negotiate fairly and effectively with opposing counsel, handle matters in court persuasively on behalf of the United States of America, and be devoted to justice, excellence, and representing the public.

Hiring for AUSA positions within the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) is highly competitive. The USAO seeks a complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest. Litigation experience, superior academic record, excellent writing skills, impeccable character, demonstrated interest in public service, courtroom presence, and the ability to work with and relate to a wide variety of people are all considered. Most attorneys hired have several years of experience, although highly qualified recent graduates with some experience in practice or as a judicial clerk are also considered.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Education Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree Other 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 $84,655 to $197,100, which includes the 29.12% Detroit/Flint locality pay. 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: Occasional travel outside the district may be required. Travel within the district will 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. EEO Statement/Policy: 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. 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.

Required: A cover letter.
Required:A legal writing sample, not to exceed 15 pages, that highlights your analytical and written communication skills and your ability to apply law to facts. The writing sample MUST be the sole work product of the applicant.
Required:A completed organizational questionnaire. Use this link Organizational Questionnaire and submit in your application. You must identify which division, e.g., Criminal, Civil, and/or Appellate, you want to be considered for.
Required: Copy of Bar Membership, in good standing.
Required: Copy of unofficial Law School transcripts, confirming J.D. degree.
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 10/02/2026 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 Eastern District of Michigan at 313-226-0208 or email at Teaira.felton@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.