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Posted: April 13, 2026 (0 days ago)

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Assistant United States Attorney

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys

Department of Justice

Fresh

Salary

$114,525 - $197,100

per year

Type

Closes

September 30, 2026More DOJ jobs →

Job Description

Summary

This job is for an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California, where you'll handle federal criminal prosecutions, national security cases, or civil litigation on behalf of the government.

It involves working with law enforcement, presenting cases in court, and protecting public interests like safety and civil rights.

A good fit would be a dedicated lawyer with strong courtroom skills, a passion for public service, and some experience in legal practice or clerking.

Key Requirements

  • J.D. degree from an accredited law school
  • Active membership in any U.S. state bar (must obtain and maintain California bar membership if not already held)
  • United States citizenship
  • Litigation experience, preferably several years
  • Superior academic record and excellent writing skills
  • Demonstrated interest in public service and impeccable character
  • Favorable background investigation, including fingerprint, credit, tax checks, and drug testing

Full Job Description

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California (USAO) is one of the most impactful in the nation.

The Civil Division is responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation in the District.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/ This position is located in Los Angeles, CA.

Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S.

jurisdiction).If not already an active member of the California bar, any applicant hired will be required to take and subsequently pass the California bar exam.

AUSAs must become active members of the California bar and maintain California bar membership. United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications: Hiring for AUSA positions within the USAO is highly competitive.

The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest.

Litigation experience, superior academic record, excellent writing skills, impeccable character, demonstrated interest in public service, courtroom presence, and the ability to work with and relate to a wide variety of people are all taken into account.

Most attorneys hired have several years of experience, although highly qualified recent graduates with some experience in practice or as a judicial clerk are also considered.

Ties to the Central District of California will be considered. All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

United States citizenship is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon time of applying. Major Duties:

The U.S. Attorneys Office for Central District of California is seeking to hire Assistant United States Attorneys to work in the Criminal and National Security Divisions.

Assistant United States Attorneys in the Criminal Division prosecute federal cases in the Central District of California and advise federal law enforcement agents on investigations, present cases to the grand jury, try cases before the United States District Court, and represent the United States in criminal appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Assistant United States Attorneys in the National Security Division are responsible for combating national security and cyber security threats facing our region and our nation.

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you.

With a diverse and talented workforce of over 100,000 people, the mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights.

You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and the property of citizens.

The USAO is divided into three litigating Divisions (Criminal, National Security, and Civil). The USAO's main offices are in Los Angeles.

The USAO's Criminal Division has branch offices in Santa Ana and Riverside. 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.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.htmlAs needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

This is an open continuous announcement that is intended to continually solicit applications in order to fill immediate and future vacancies.

Vacant positions may or may not be available at the time of application. Applications will be reviewed and referred as vacancies occur and will only remain active for seven

months from the date of submission. Applicants will be notified when their applications have been reviewed/referred for further consideration.

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.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 4/13/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 4/14/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: 26-CAC-12935004-AUSA