attorney Madison, WI
Job description
CIVIL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin both prosecutes and defends the interests of the United States in civil cases, and prosecutes federal criminal offenses. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin is located in Madison, Wisconsin.
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 is seeking a highly-qualified and experienced attorney to fill a full-time position as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in its Civil Division. This position offers the opportunity to perform public service, and to investigate and litigate a broad range of complex and challenging affirmative and defensive cases.
AUSAs in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the United States as primary or secondary counsel in federal, state, and bankruptcy court proceedings. This AUSA will defend the United States in employment discrimination cases, tort cases, and medical malpractice cases. This AUSA will also defend the federal government and its officials from constitutional and procedural challenges, including Bivens cases. This AUSA may also investigate and prosecute affirmative civil matters, including suits brought under the False Claims Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and other civil penalty actions. Assignments will include all aspects of civil litigation, including researching legal issues, drafting and responding to discovery requests, conducting document review and organization, taking and defending depositions, preparing dispositive and procedural motions, and handling trials and appeals.
This AUSA may also be assigned additional duties at the discretion of the United States Attorney. Such case assignments may include, but are not limited to, habeas corpus cases, actions brought under the Freedom of Information Act, actions seeking federal court review of the administrative actions of federal agencies, actions to defend and/or enforce subpoenas, and the collection of debts owed to the government, including foreclosure, subrogation, and student loan cases.
For all Civil Division AUSAs, responsibilities will increase, and assignments will become more complex, as your training and experience progress.
All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Temporary appointments may be extended or made permanent without further competition.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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.
Required qualifications: All applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least two years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
Preferred qualifications: Because the AUSA may represent the United States’ interests in state court proceedings, preferred qualifications will include candidates who are a member of the Wisconsin Bar or eligible for Admission on Proof of Practice into the Wisconsin Bar.
Applicants must be devoted to justice, excellence, and public service; have a very strong ability to research and analyze complex legal and factual issues; write clearly and persuasively; communicate effectively; possess a strong work ethic; exhibit good organizational skills; exercise fair and sound judgment; pay careful attention to facts and details; possess computer and electronic discovery knowledge; work well both independently and on a team; be willing to volunteer to help other attorneys; be able to negotiate effectively with opposing counsel; and be capable of trial work and appellate advocacy.
See full announcement and apply online at: USAJOBS - Job Announcement
Applicants are evaluated by the Hiring Committee based on such factors as litigation experience, research and writing ability, oral communication skills, academic performance, and other legal and community service and experience. An application package for a position with this Office should include a letter of application and resume.
Please address your letter of application to United States Attorney Timothy M. O'Shea
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.
Updated June 5, 2023
Department 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 race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, 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.
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.
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 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 must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-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. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: 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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. 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 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 their 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).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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.
About US Department of Justice
CEO: Matthew Whitaker
Revenue: Unknown / Non-Applicable
Size: 10000+ Employees
Type: Government
Website: www.justice.gov
Year Founded: 1870
