
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA)
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys See More Job Openings by This Employer
Job Description
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is unique in the size and the scope of its work. It serves as both the local and the federal prosecutor for the nation's capital. Assistant United States Attorney's (AUSA) assigned to the Criminal Division prosecute a broad range of U.S. Code violations in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Duties The Criminal Division is responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal cases in the U.S. District Court. Located in the nation's capitol, the division has jurisdiction for a broad range of consequential cases, including violent crime, child exploitation, human trafficking, drug trafficking, fraud, government corruption, cybercrime, terrorism, sanctions violations, espionage, and other threats to D.C. and the nation. The Criminal Division is accepting applications for attorneys to serve as line AUSAs in the Criminal Division, including the following: The Asset Forfeiture Unit utilizes criminal, civil, and administrative tools to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property used in or acquired through illegal activities and to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims. The caseload involves matters across all criminal sections, whether in partnership with a criminal AUSA or as an independent matter. The Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights (FPCCR) section handles complex and challenging prosecutions intended to address a range of white-collar crimes. FPCCR prosecutes fraud offenses against government agencies, including health-care fraud, tax fraud, and federal program fraud; frauds targeting businesses, non-profits, and social institutions; money laundering networks perpetrating frauds against financial institutions and online through cryptocurrencies; and cyber-enabled frauds (such as ransomware) and crimes (such as hacking to steal funds/crypto and information). FPCCR prosecutes public corruption offenses, such as bribery; conflicts of interest; theft of government funds; election crimes; and efforts to obstruct or interfere with the lawful functioning of Congress, the Judiciary, and Executive Branch. This section also prosecutes civil rights offenses, such as crimes based on protected characteristics. The National Security (NS) section investigates and prosecutes criminal activity that threatens our nation's security, including: international and domestic terrorism; hostage-takings and other violence against Americans outside the U.S.; export control and sanctions violations; espionage, malign foreign influence, and transnational repression; unauthorized retention or disclosure of classified information and national defense information; and cyber offenses targeted at the U.S. government or perpetrated by those connected to state actors or terrorist organizations. The section is looking for applicants who are willing and able to handle the breadth of the section's practice; particular preference will be given to those applicants who have demonstrated an interest and skill in investigations involving cryptocurrency, cyber crimes, or criminal or civil forfeiture. The Violent Crime and Narcotic Trafficking (VCNT) section disrupts and dismantles criminal networks engaged in serious violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking. VCNT places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and our prosecutions focus on violent street crews, transnational criminal organizations, and the district's drivers of violence. VCNT's prosecutions target everything from criminal street gangs to international drug cartels engaged in a broad range of federal offenses, including firearms and narcotics conspiracies, interstate robbery conspiracies, RICO and VICAR, darknet market drug trafficking and money laundering, and Continuing Criminal Enterprises. VCNT AUSAs advise and coordinate with law enforcement agencies on investigative steps and sequencing; draft search warrants and other legal process; present cases to the federal grand jury; brief and handle detention hearings and other hearings in court; and prosecute cases through trial. The Special Counsel for Complex Litigation is responsible for the office's compliance with the decision in Matter of Leopold, 964 F.3d 1121 (D.C. Cir. 2020), which mandates the unsealing of certain legal process, with appropriate redactions to protect privacy and law enforcement interests, after a criminal investigation is closed. The Special Counsel is also responsible for training AUSAs and support staff, document review and oversight, filter team protocols, and conducting and supervising filter team review. The Criminal Division may consider applicants for supervisory positions in the following sections: Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights; Federal Major Crimes; and Violent Crime and Narcotic Trafficking. Please indicate in your cover letter which section(s) you would like to be considered for. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Salary- $90,896 - $195,100/year