ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY (Civil)

Full Job Description

The Department of Justice (DOJ) leads the nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms.

As a Justice employee you'll be a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission.

Read more about the exciting opportunities available. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

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) one year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Ideal qualifications include at least 3 or more years of post-J.D.

experience litigating cases in federal or state courts, with substantial responsibility for all aspects of discovery and trial in civil matters.

The ideal candidate also will have substantial experience conducting discovery, legal writing and oral advocacy experience, legal practice in federal court (or a federal court clerkship), and/or experience handling settlement negotiations.

Applicants should have a strong work ethic, excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong oral advocacy skills to represent the DOJ in a variety of contexts including, but not limited to, court hearings, depositions/interviews, and settlement conferences.

Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing and will be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings.

Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e-mail and word processing systems.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

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. § 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.

Major Duties:

Overview of the United States Attorney's Office-Northern District of Indiana- The United States Attorney's Office is the chief law enforcement office in the district and is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Indiana.

This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.

The U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Indiana is one of 94 USAOs in the nation. The U.S.

Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana is currently soliciting applications for a general Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) position in its Civil Division.

The Civil Division represents the United States, and its agencies and employees, in a wide variety of matters, including federal tort, employment discrimination, immigration, constitutional, bankruptcy, and administrative challenges.

The Division also represents the United States as the plaintiff in affirmative civil enforcement cases involving health care fraud, procurement fraud, diversion of controlled substances, and civil rights violations.

As an AUSA in the Civil Division, you will be responsible for all aspects of litigation, including, investigating cases, conducting legal research, preparing briefs, interviewing and deposing witnesses, appearing in court, and negotiating settlements.

Civil AUSAs are given significant autonomy to use their judgment and professional skill to pursue justice and do the right thing under the law and Department policies.The successful candidate will be responsible for a wide variety of civil matters, including, but not limited to, defensive litigation (such as personal injury, medical malpractice, and employment discrimination), constitutional claims against federal employees, and affirmative civil enforcement (including healthcare fraud, procurement fraud, financial fraud, and pharmaceutical diversion).

The selected candidate will also defend immigration cases, including cases brought by detainees challenging their continued detention, cases challenging the government's denial of immigration benefits applications, and other casework related to illegal immigration.

And the selected candidate will bring, or assist the Civil Rights Division in bringing, actions to protect civil rights.

Day-to-day responsibilities include working with client agencies to gather information, engaging in motions practice, preparing and answering discovery requests, conducting investigations, defending and taking depositions, retaining and working with experts, negotiating settlements, trying cases, and briefing and arguing appeals.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. The open position could be located in Hammond, South Bend or Fort Wayne.

Location Information: Hammond, Indiana is located in Northwest Indiana.

Minutes away from Chicago, Northwest Indiana offers low-cost, high-quality living and highly competitive salaries at the Chicago locality rate.

The proximity of Chicago also offers a strong legal community, art and cultural institutions, world-class entertainment, and dining.

The area boasts a variety of living options - from urban living and suburbs to small towns and rural communities.

Northwest Indiana is also home to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park and the Indiana Dunes State Park - both offering trails, camping and beaches along Lake Michigan.

For more information about the area, visit www.nwiforum.org South Bend is located in the heart of the Great Lakes region between Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, and Indianapolis.

The home of the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School, South Bend has a flourishing legal community and provides unique experiences through sports, arts and cultural heritage events, vibrant downtown riverfront communities, and extensive outdoor recreation and shopping venues, all just 90 miles east of Chicago.

For more information about the area, visit www.visitsouthbend.com. Fort Wayne is the second-largest city in the state of Indiana, and the hub of Northeast Indiana.

Northeast Indiana is in the middle of it all, located just three hours or less by car from Midwest cities including Chicago, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis - but with its own unique vibe and easygoing lifestyle.

Fort Wayne consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the U.S. and boasts some of the nation's lowest cost of living.

The Northeast Indiana region fits all kinds of lifestyles for those who want to stay busy in Fort Wayne's vibrant downtown, relax in the laid-back small communities, or seek outdoor adventure in the northern lake counties.

For more information about the area, visit www.neindiana.com and www.visitfortwayne.com. To learn more about the state of Indiana, visit www.visitindiana.com.