The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho is seeking applications for two Assistant United States Attorneys to serve in the Criminal Division in Boise, Idaho. To learn more about the District of Idaho, please visit our website here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-id. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Duties
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho is seeking to hire two Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to work in the Criminal Division in our Boise headquarters office. AUSAs in the Criminal Division prosecute federal criminal cases in the District of Idaho by advising federal law enforcement agents on investigations, presenting cases to the grand jury, trying cases before the United States District Court, and representing the United States in criminal appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Criminal AUSAs are responsible for prosecuting a variety of violations of federal law including, but not limited to, transnational organized crime, violent crime, narcotics trafficking, child exploitation offenses, immigration offenses, firearms violations, national security offenses, civil rights violations, and white-collar fraud offenses. AUSAs are responsible for legal research and writing, directing investigations, case development, and case presentation in U.S. District Court. To be an effective prosecutor, an AUSA must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and the ability to work closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Employment with the U.S. Attorney's Office offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated and talented attorney who is committed to serving justice. 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 1-year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Ideally, an applicant will have a record of academic excellence; 3+ years post-J.D. or other relevant experience; experience as a federal or state law clerk, and/or three years or more of experience as a criminal prosecutor in state and/or federal court; and a strong desire to practice in Idaho. In addition, an applicant should have broad experience planning and executing case strategy in a variety of criminal cases. Finally, the ideal applicant will demonstrate superior written and oral communications skills, superior research skills, and a demonstrated ability to work well with others, including support staff, peers, and supervisors. 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 which includes: Required: Responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process). Required: Cover Letter 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 (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: Writing Sample - A legal writing sample, not to exceed 15 pages. Required: Three references. Applicants will be notified prior to references being contacted. 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, 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. 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 with 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 U.S. 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 02/23/2026 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. The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Joel Hawker who can be reached at 208-334-9127 or joel.hawker@usdoj.gov
