Assistant United States Attorney

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 men and women, Justice leads the Nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. You can be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty, and the property of citizens.

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.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas seeks an experienced attorney to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Houston office. The incumbent will serve as an Assistant United States Attorney assigned to the Civil Division. Selectee will handle a docket of affirmative cases brought under the False Claims Act, Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and FIRREA. The selected applicant will have the opportunity to perform an important public service by representing the interests of the United States of America in civil actions brought by the United States in the United States District Court. The incumbent will also oversee False Claims Act investigations from inception through to settlement or trial. The responsibilities of this position may include researching legal issues, drafting legal memoranda, drafting and responding to discovery requests, document review and organization, taking or defending depositions, and representing the United States as primary and/or secondary counsel in judicial proceedings, such as hearings and trials, in various United States District Court, United States Bankruptcy Court and state court actions.

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.

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 with a minimum of one year of bar licensure.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:
Active Texas bar membership is preferred. Familiarity and experience with the False Claims Act, Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and FIRREA helpful, with an emphasis on health care and program fraud litigation. Other hiring preferences include superior legal writing and research ability, outstanding organizational and time management skills, strong academics, familiarity and experience with large document review and use of Relativity, and a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. The successful applicant will have the following: (1) excellent judgment and a strong work ethic; (2) the ability to work independently and efficiently; (3) the ability to work collaboratively and professionally with other lawyers and staff; and (4) outstanding skills in legal analysis, research, and writing.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

$79,766 to $183,400 which includes 34.47% locality pay.

1 to 5 nights per month, on average.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by September 30, 2023 11:59 PM (ET) on to receive consideration.

First round consideration will be given to applications submitted by June 5, 2023 at 11:59pm EST. Additional applicant lists will be reviewed every 30 days.

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,

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 Texas at 713-567-9000 or email [email protected], prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

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 month/year). (cover letter optional but strongly suggested).
• Required - Writing sample, no more than 20 pages.
• 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.

Department of Justice Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, status as a parent, or any other non-merit-based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice.

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.

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 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.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

1 - As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.