Assistant United States Attorney (Civil Appellate)
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys See More Job Openings by This EmployerThe United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon is seeking an attorney to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in our Civil Division. This position is located in our District's headquarters in Portland, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We're seeking a motivated individual who enjoys working on a variety of challenging litigation matters while supported by colleagues of the highest caliber. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Duties The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon is seeking to fill a position as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) handling civil appellate matters, as well as assisting with research, analysis and drafting briefs on complex legal issues in District Court cases. The U.S. Attorney's Office has offices in Portland, Eugene, and Medford. This position is located in Portland.
The Civil Appellate AUSA will represent the United States in federal civil cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and will handle all aspects of affirmative and defensive appeals from civil cases arising in the District of Oregon. The civil cases include tort claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, such as vehicle accidents and medical malpractice; constitutional tort claims against federal employees under Bivens; employment litigation; and judicial review of agency decisions under the Administrative Procedure Act. The Civil Appellate AUSA will conduct legal research, write appellate briefs, and present oral arguments on constitutional, statutory, evidentiary, and procedural matters arising in civil cases. Duties also include reviewing draft briefs written by fellow AUSAs and participating in moot courts. Aside from appellate litigation, the Civil Appellate AUSA will advise the U.S. Attorney and fellow AUSAs on developments in the law and significant legal issues; handle complex briefing and oral arguments in District Court; and consult with the Solicitor General's Office and the Civil Division of the Department of Justice regarding appeals, petitions for rehearing en banc, and litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court.
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.
- $79,667 - $197,100/year
- 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.
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants should possess impeccable judgment and the proven ability to work independently, while also being self-aware enough to know when they need supervisory input with difficult or sensitive issues.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire.
- 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: Cover Letter referencing announcement 26-OR-13005196-AUSA-CIVIL
-Required: Writing Sample. Include a sample of your legal writing, such as a portion or all of an appellate brief, memorandum of points and authorities, or opinion letter. The writing sample should be a recent example of your work and demonstrate your ability to analyze legal issues and present that analysis in written form. Please limit your writing sample to 10 pages.
- 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.
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 08/05/2026 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 Oregon at 5037271077 or email at sarah.fischer@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.