Assistant United States Attorney (Financial Litigation)

Summary

In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner. This position is located in New York, NY https://www.justice.gov/usao/nys

Duties

The Southern District of New York is accepting applications for an Assistant United States Attorney opening in the Civil Division, Financial Litigation Unit (FLU). The Financial Litigation Unit oversees the collection of criminal and civil debts owed to victims of federal crime and to the United States. AUSAs in the Financial Litigation Unit conduct asset investigations, pursue garnishments of wages, obtain turnover orders for debtors' assets, and seek to unwind fraudulent transfers of assets. The assigned AUSA will work closely with their counterparts in the Criminal and Civil Divisions, pre-judgment and post-judgment, to maximize financial recoveries for victims and the government. Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) represent the interests of the United States in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, performing vital public service while managing a high-volume docket, researching case law, drafting complex briefs, and investigating factually and legally intricate matters, and arguing district court matters and appeals. This role offers an exceptional level of responsibility, providing opportunities to handle significant litigation and contribute meaningfully to the mission of the Department of Justice. In all these matters, affirmative and defensive, Civil Division AUSAs serve as a zealous advocate, representing the interests of the United States in accordance with the facts and faithful to the rule of law. Please visit our Civil Division website to learn more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/civil-division. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

Qualifications: Applicants must be able to work well with client agencies and the public; possess superior oral and written advocacy skills; have strong character and interpersonal skills; have good judgment; and have demonstrated the capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of skills and experience. Hiring preferences include a strong academic record, litigation experience, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, demonstrated analytical ability, excellent communication abilities, good judgment, the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with the other attorneys, support staff, and stakeholders, and a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one (1) year of experience as a licensed attorney (or post-law school graduation judicial clerkships) preparing for, participating in, and/or reviewing formal hearings or trials involving litigation at the federal, state, or local court level. United States citizenship is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should be committed to public service, possess superior communication and courtroom skills, exhibit exceptional research and writing ability, perform thorough legal and factual analyses, demonstrate an ability to work well with a wide variety of people, exercise good judgment, and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree and be be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

How You Will Be Evaluated

Evaluation Method: Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more). Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Required Documents

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 showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year). (cover letter optional). 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. Required - Cover letter (2 page limit) Required - Unofficial Copy Law School Transcript Required - 2 Writing samples ( 5 - 25 pages each) Required - SDNY AUSA Application: https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-12/ausa_application_for_usajobs.pdf; Please review instructions for completing the application here: https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-2/sdny_application_instructions_for_usajobs.pdf 2 Recommendation letters may be required at a later time. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. 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. 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.

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 Southern District of New York at 2126372683 or email at destiny.jones@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 Southern District of New York who can be reached at 2126372683 or destiny.jones@usdoj.gov

What to Expect Next

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit and tax checks, and a drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days after the closing date of the announcement.

Additional Information

Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is he range of basic pay is $137,926.00 to $197,100.00 which includes locality pay. Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees. Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized. * * * This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information. Travel: Occasional travel is required. Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rule...

Qualifications: Applicants must be able to work well with client agencies and the public; possess superior oral and written advocacy skills; have strong character and interpersonal skills; have good judgment; and have demonstrated the capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of skills and experience. Hiring preferences include a strong academic record, litigation experience, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, demonstrated analytical ability, excellent communication abilities, good judgment, the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with the other attorneys, support staff, and stakeholders, and a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one (1) year of experience as a licensed attorney (or post-law school graduation judicial clerkships) preparing for, participating in, and/or reviewing formal hearings or trials involving litigation at the federal, state, or local court level. United States citizenship is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Preferred Qualifications: Applicants should be committed to public service, possess superior communication and courtroom skills, exhibit exceptional research and writing ability, perform thorough legal and factual analyses, demonstrate an ability to work well with a wide variety of people, exercise good judgment, and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.