Assistant United States Attorney

Full Job Description

This is an open continuous announcement to fill current and future vacancies. Applicant lists will be pulled on 02/09/2026 and every two weeks thereafter until the closing date.

Positions are open until filled, but no later than April 30, 2026. Candidates must apply to each vacancy for which they want to be considered. This position is located in El Centro, Imperial Valley CA.

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: Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and an aptitude for accurately articulating the critical issues in a case.

Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and writing skills, as well as strong research and interpersonal skills and good judgment.

Applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies.

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

AUSAs receive training by the U.S. Department of Justice and by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Appointment is subject to an FBI background investigation, including credit, arrest, and drug use inquiries. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Major Duties:

Overview of the United States Attorney's Office - Southern District of California- The Southern District of California (SDCA) is one of the largest U.S.

Attorney's offices in the country with one of the largest caseloads. This office prosecutes federal crimes and defends the interests of the United States government in civil cases.

SDCA encompasses San Diego and Imperial Counties and includes a branch office in Imperial, California.

Duties of Criminal Assistant United States Attorneys- The Criminal Division is organized into three sections: General Crimes, Organized Crimes and Special Prosecution. (See the San Diego U.S.

Attorney's office website https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/criminal-division for a detailed description of each section).

The General Crimes Section is comprised of four units: Intake, Fast Track, three Trial Teams, and the Sentencing Unit. Most Criminal AUSAs begin their careers in General Crimes.

General Crimes handles a large volume of reactive cases that arise from policing the 141-mile-long border between California and Mexico, six Ports of Entry, and the roughly 70 miles of coastline stretching from the U.S./Mexico border to the northernmost tip of San Diego County.

Such cases commonly include illegal entry and reentry, drug importation and smuggling, and alien smuggling.

Aside from their reactive cases, prosecutors in the section also handle firearms-related matters, drug distribution, child exploitation, fraud, and other prosecutions.

General Crimes prosecutors try a large number of cases and conduct proactive investigations using a wide range of investigative tools and pursue matters involving undercover operations and confidential sources.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

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.