Assistant United States Attorney

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York seeks experienced attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Civil Division's Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) unit.

Civil Division AUSAs serve as lead counsel in federal litigation from investigation through appeal and receive substantial responsibility from the outset. Attorneys manage their own dockets, appear regularly in federal court, collaborate closely with federal agencies and Department of Justice components, and handle matters of significant national and regional importance.

Attorneys in the ACE unit investigate and litigate affirmative civil matters on behalf of the United States, with a particular emphasis on False Claims Act cases involving health care fraud, procurement fraud, grant fraud, and other fraud affecting federal programs. The Office maintains an active and sophisticated False Claims Act practice, including matters initiated through qui tam complaints and investigations conducted jointly with federal law enforcement agencies, inspectors general, and agency partners across the government.

In addition to False Claims Act matters, ACE AUSAs handle affirmative litigation involving environmental violations and federal civil rights statutes, including matters involving voting rights and discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or disability. Attorneys may also handle matters involving civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act and other enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice and the Office. ACE AUSAs may also represent the United States in bankruptcy proceedings.

ACE matters frequently involve parallel criminal, regulatory, and administrative investigations and require close coordination with agents, auditors, investigators, and attorneys from the Department of Justice and other United States Attorneys' Offices. Attorneys are expected to manage investigations strategically, exercise sound judgment, and litigate independently in federal court.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as 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.

Selective Service Requirement: 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.

Residency Requirement: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.

Travel Requirement: Employment will require occasional travel to court at one of the designated District sites, namely Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse and Utica. Other occasional travel within and/or outside the District may be required.

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment 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.

Required Qualifications:

• Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience.
• Applicants must hold United States citizenship.

• Have at least 3 years of post-J.D. experience that provided significant opportunity to develop strong legal writing, oral advocacy, and courtroom litigation skills;
• Demonstrate facility with federal civil practice;
• Be comfortable with all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation;
• Collaborate effectively with others, including AUSAs, law enforcement, support staff, and court personnel;
• Possess impeccable integrity;
• Be self-motivated, justice-oriented, organized, and courteous; and
• Be capable of receiving substantial responsibility from the outset and expect to manage matters independently while maintaining the highest standards of advocacy and public service.