Assistant United States Attorney

The Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington is currently seeking an attorney with at least three years of post-J.D. experience (five years preferred).

This announcement is for 1 available vacancy. The duty location will be made at the time of selection.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree This position will be located in the Civil Division of the Western District of Washington. 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 and tort litigation, including medical malpractice. Applicants with prior experience handling one or both of the following types of litigation should describe that work in their cover letter:

1. Employment
2. Tort

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 3 years of post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Ideal qualifications include at least 5 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.

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