Employment with the U.S. Attorney's Office provides a unique, challenging, and rewarding experience for a highly motivated attorney. It is an opportunity to litigate a broad range of cases involving significant complex issues in Federal court and to become part of a dedicated team pursuing justice on behalf of the United States. Two (2) vacancies total which may be filled in Cincinnati, Columbus, or Dayton, OH. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Duties
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio is seeking qualified attorneys to fill Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) vacancies in their Civil Division. The AUSAs will have the following responsibilities: to defend the United States and its agencies in a broad array of civil immigration litigation, including habeas, APA, and mandamus actions; to defend the United States and its agencies in other civil litigation, including tort lawsuits, employment lawsuits, and in defense of various agency actions; to investigate and pursue appropriate civil claims for recovery on behalf of the United States and it agencies, including under the False Claims Act, Controlled Substances Act, denaturalization provisions, and other statutes providing affirmative civil remedies; and to perform other litigative, investigative, or administrative duties for the United States and its agencies. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress.
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 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications Prior experience in federal civil practice or a federal clerkship is preferred. Applicants should be committed to public service, possess superior communication and courtroom skills, exhibit exceptional research and writing ability, perform thorough legal and factual analyses, demonstrate an ability to work well with a wide variety of people, exercise good judgment, and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. Applicants should be proficient with computers and eLitigation. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent).
Required Documents
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (completed automatically during the online application process). Required: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (month/year), date J.D. Degree was awarded (month/year), and date of bar admission (month/year). 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. 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 describing your qualifications and interest in the Southern District of Ohio. Required: Writing sample. Required, if applicable: A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing title, series, grade, and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. 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. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE POLICIES 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 08/19/2026 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. Applicants must 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 the agency prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
