Assistant United States Attorney
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys See More Job Openings by This EmployerThe District of Delaware comprises the entire state of Delaware, which has a population of slightly more than 1 million residents. The State consists of three counties (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). Three-fourths of the population resides in New Castle County. The largest metropolitan area is Wilmington (pop. approx. 70,000), in which the U.S. Attorney's Office is located. The off ice prosecutes federal crimes and represents the interests of the United States in civil cases.
Duties The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware is currently seeking highly qualified Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) candidates for the Criminal Division. The selected applicant will have the opportunity to perform an important public service by representing the interests of the United States of America in criminal actions brought by the United States. The responsibilities of this position include representing the United States as primary counsel in grand jury and judicial proceedings, such as hearings, oral arguments, and trials, in United States District Court and appeals in the United States Court of Appeals. Criminal Division assignments in this District may cover the full range of federal offenses, including narcotics, immigration, violent crime, fraud, and cybercrime. Criminal Division AUSAs are responsible for substantial legal research and writing, both at trial and appellate levels. The dynamic practice in the Off ice features a challenging mix of cases and represents a great opportunity to participate in all aspects of federal criminal law and practice.
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.
- $102,858 - $191,166/year
- 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.
- If selected, you must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
- You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
- J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must have a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least three years of post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants with a demonstrable connection to Delaware are preferred. Applicants with criminal prosecution experience are preferred, particularly if such experience includes complex federal cases and jury trials. Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to articulate critical issues accurately and precisely in criminal litigation. Applicants must demonstrate superior writing skills as well as strong research and interpersonal skills and good judgment. Applicants must possess excellent communication skills and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment - including courtroom and trial settings.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
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.
- A list of two professional references
- 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 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.
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 12/03/2025 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 District of Delaware at 302-573-6229 or email at james.abrusci@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is District of Delaware who can be reached at 302-573-6229 or james.abrusci@usdoj.gov