ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Western District of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Vacancy Announcement: 22-WDWA-AUSA-08 (Civil-Sea/Tac)
About the Office: The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Western District of Washington is responsible for representing the federal government in nearly all litigation involving the United States in the Western District of Washington (WDWA). This includes civil lawsuits by or against a Department or agency of the United States government (both affirmative and defensive litigation), representation of government officials under certain circumstances, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The USAO has an office size of approximately 74 Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) and is divided into two litigating Divisions (Criminal and Civil) as well as an Appellate Division. The USAO’s main office is in Seattle, Washington, with a branch office located in Tacoma, Washington.
Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from qualified people from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and persons with disabilities.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa
Job Description: This position will be located in the Civil Division of the WDWA. AUSAs in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the United States government and its Departments, agencies and employees in civil litigation filed in the District. Principle areas of the Division’s defensive practice include cases bought under Title VII alleging discrimination in hiring and employment practices by agencies and Departments of the United States; matters brought pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, covering a wide range of personal injury claims including medical malpractice arising from treatment received at various federal medical facilities; and immigration litigation. Other areas of practice include judicial review of administrative findings, injunctive proceedings, and defending federal employees accused of constitutional violations.
The AUSAs in the Civil Division participate in litigation at both the trial and occasionally at the appellate levels. They take and defend depositions, propound and answer written discovery, negotiate for settlement, engage in motions practice, try cases in the United States District Court and, at times, write appellate briefs and argue before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The attorney hired for this position will be assigned a variety of defensive civil matters involving various areas of federal law, with a focus on employment litigation. Applicants with prior experience handling one or both of the following types of matters should describe that work in their cover letter:
- Employment
- Tort
Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department’s evacuation authority, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Employees in this status may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component’s telework policy.
Who May Apply: Any United States citizen.
Qualifications: The applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least three years post-J.D. experience. Ideal qualifications include at least five years of post-J.D. litigation experience.
Applicants must demonstrate strong analytical skills and the ability to accurately identify the critical issues in a case. Applicants must also possess superior oral and writing skills, strong research skills, and the ability to exercise good judgment. To be successful, 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 have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment and in the highest ethical manner.
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 also must 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.
Travel: Occasional travel within and outside the District will be required.
Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorneys’ pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of pay with locality is $78,538 – 176,200.
Location: Seattle or Tacoma, Washington.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Application Process and Deadline Date: Interested persons must email the following items in pdf format to the email address listed below:
USAWAW.Hiring@usdoj.gov
