The mission of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island is to uphold federal law with fairness and integrity, ensuring the safety of all who live, work, and visit the Ocean State. The Office prosecutes federal offenses and represents the United States in civil matters before the United States District Court and appellate courts. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri
Duties
The United States Attorney's Office is seeking an experienced and motivated attorney to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division. As an AUSA in the Civil Division, you will play a key role in enforcing federal civil laws that safeguard the public interest. We are seeking an AUSA to handle a wide range of immigration matters including civil defensive litigation resulting from the enforcement of immigration laws. AUSAs in the Civil Division are active at both the trial and appellate levels, taking depositions, preparing and answering interrogatories, negotiating for settlement, engaging in motions practice, trying cases, and writing and arguing appeals. Civil Division AUSAs are expected to exercise sound judgment, manage a high-volume caseload efficiently, and work collaboratively as part of a team dedicated to upholding federal law and protecting the interests of the United States. Hiring for AUSA positions is highly competitive. The ideal candidate will have experience with enforcing the federal immigration laws, excellent research and writing skills, the ability to learn new substantive areas of law quickly, and the ability to assume responsibility for his or her own cases. Our team of six civil attorneys takes pride in the quality of our work and enjoys a collegial and collaborative environment. Applicants must also have litigation experience, superior oral communication skills, and a demonstrated capacity to function in a highly demanding environment with minimal guidance. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Responsibilities and cases are assigned commensurate with experience and will increase in complexity as the AUSA progresses in training and experience. Responsibilities will increase, and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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 and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) at the time of application. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Hiring for AUSA positions is highly competitive. Our ideal candidate will have: Incisive analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a wide variety of cases; Superior oral and written communication skills and a strong courtroom presence, including first-chair jury trials; A demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service; Impeccable integrity; Outstanding organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills; An aptitude for independent legal research and writing, and the ability to prepare correspondence and pleadings with accuracy and minimal supervision; The ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies; Excellent computer literacy skills and the ability to handle all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation; 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 and Writing Sample (refer to the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section). - 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 05/20/2026 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 Rhode Island at 401-709-5082 or email at jiri.baskerville@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
