Assistant United States Attorney

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California (USAO) is one of the largest and most impactful in the nation, serving nearly 20 million people in seven counties. The Office enforces the laws and defends the interests of the United States through three primary litigating Divisions: Criminal, National Security, and Civil. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/

Duties

• The U.S. Attorneys Office for Central District of California is seeking to hire exceptional attorneys to serve as AUSAs in the Criminal Appeals Section. AUSAs in the Criminal Appeals Section supervise or handle all of the Office's criminal matters before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals-including some 200 briefs and nearly 100 oral arguments each year. These cases involve some of the most challenging legal issues in criminal law, including constitutional challenges to criminal convictions, statutory issues of first impression, sentencing challenges, and appeals from substantial (and often high-profile) trials. AUSAs in the section also work closely with the Solicitor General's Office to determine which cases raise significant legal issues that are worthy of government appeal, en banc rehearing, or Supreme Court review. The position provides a unique opportunity to gain substantial experience before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Although AUSAs from other sections write and argue many of their own appeals, AUSAs from the Criminal Appeals Section have editorial control over all briefs, hold moot courts for all oral arguments, and write and handle their own appeals. In addition, they provide counsel to trial attorneys on difficult legal issues, developing significant expertise in criminal procedure and strategy. 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. 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. 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 three months from the date of submission. Applicants will be notified when their applications have been reviewed/referred for further consideration. 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.

Qualifications

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.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree

How to apply

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 09/30/2026 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 Central District of California at (213) 894-7611 or email at [email protected], prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying. The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Central District of California who can be reached at (213) 894-7611 or [email protected]