The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida (NDFL) is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Florida. This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. This position is located in Tallahassee or Pensacola, FL.
Duties
The Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida (NDFL) seeks applications from experienced attorneys with superb research, writing, and oral advocacy skills, as well as a practice background in civil law litigation, to fill an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancy in the NDFL Civil Division. The NDFL spans the 23 counties of the Florida Panhandle, with offices in Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Gainesville. The AUSA vacancy will be filled in either Tallahassee or Pensacola. Please specify your location preference, if any, in your cover letter submitted with your application. The core responsibilities of the position require a candidate who will efficiently and accurately perform legal research, draft legal pleadings and memoranda, prepare and answer written discovery, oversee and coordinate investigations, take and defend depositions and/or examinations, and present legal arguments in court while representing and zealously advocating on behalf of the United States Government in judicial proceedings. This opportunity offers a dynamic civil practice with a challenging mix of cases, with both defensive and affirmative dockets and substantial trial work, including jury trials. The successful candidate must possess a strong work ethic, superior legal acumen, and strong initiative to remain accountable for all aspects of the cases to which they are assigned. The successful candidate will lead by example, demonstrate initiative to proactively develop and manage cases, possess a strong ability to work both collaboratively with colleagues and individually, and be willing to assume increasing levels of responsibility within the office. Each AUSA is expected to conduct themselves according to the highest standard of professional ethics at all times. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. 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, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 3 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: A minimum of three (3) years of recent civil litigation experience is desired. Preferred applicants should possess exceptional analytical ability, judgment, and advocacy skills, as well as a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Finally, preferred applicants must possess the ability to manage investigations and cases of a complex and varying nature. 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 - Cover letter, addressed to John P. Heekin, United States Attorney. Please specify your location preference. Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year). Required - Writing sample, not to exceed 15 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. The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Northern District of Florida who can be reached at 850-444-4049 or Keishley.Marin@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 07/16/2025 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 Northern District of Florida at 850-444-4049 or email at Keishley.Marin@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
