Special Assistant United States Attorney
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys See More Job Openings by This Employer
An appointment with the U.S. Attorney's Office offers unique and challenging experiences for a highly motivated attorney. Working in the Criminal Division, San Jose Branch, the Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce federal criminal laws. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, so kindly submit your materials as soon as possible.
Duties An appointment with the U.S. Attorney's Office offers unique and challenging experiences for the highly motivated attorney. Working in the Criminal Division, San Jose Branch, the Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) will be primarily responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor cases arising out of the federal enclaves located in Santa Clara and Monterey Counties. The SAUSA will also be given the opportunity to work with other federal prosecutors on felony criminal cases, including those involving violations of immigration, firearms, and/or narcotics statutes. The SAUSA's duties will entail assisting with the progression of these cases at various stages, from the initiation of federal investigation or charges, to disposition and sentencing. The SAUSA will gain experience participating in various in-court proceedings such as guilty pleas, motions hearings, and jury trial.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
The Special Assistant United States Attorney position is an uncompensated position.
- $0
- You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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.
Preferred Qualifications: Preferred applicants will possess superior oral and written communications skills, strong interpersonal skills; and the capacity to function in a highly demanding environment with minimal guidance. Additionally, it is desired that the successful candidate have a strong academic credential and at least two years of attorney or post-J.D. judicial legal experience.
If you currently represent an opposing party in litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice or represent a client under investigation by the U.S., please refer to Rule 1-7 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct and / or the relevant conflict of interest Rules of Professional Conduct in the jurisdiction in which you are licensed to practice. The U.S. Attorney's Office considers California Rule 1-7 to be implicated when an attorney licensed in California applies for a position with the U.S. Attorney's office while also representing a client in litigation opposing the U.S. or knowingly under investigation by the U.S.
United States citizenship is required.
Travel: Occasional travel may be required.
Type of Position: This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 1 year. This position may be extended without further competition.
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.
The Residency Requirement ensures an adequate background investigation can be completed. It applies to all DOJ applicants, both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, whose job location is within the U.S. In addition, for a total of three years (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: 1) resided in the U.S.; 2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or, 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving overseas.
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: None - This is a uncompensated position.
Telework: Routine telework is not available. Situational telework is subject to supervisory approval and may be permitted on an occasional, non-routine basis, from an appropriate off-site location and may be authorized to the extent that it is consistent with the mission of the Office. Situational telework is currently limited to 16 hours in a pay period and no more than 192 hours in a calendar year.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Department of Justice Policies:
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.
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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.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Required - Your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (online).
- Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include month/year).
- Required - Writing Sample (Please submit a piece of advocacy writing (not an article or internal memorandum) along with a letter certifying that the writing sample reflects substantially your work only. If your writing sample exceeds 20 pages, please identify the sections that you believe best exemplify the strength of your writing)
- Required - Cover Letter (Please address to United States Attorney, Ismail J. Ramsey).
- 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 under the "Qualifications and Evaluations" Tab above 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.
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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 04/04/2025 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 California at Wilson.Li@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
