Assistant United States Attorney in the District of South Carolina
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina (DOJ)
Application
Details
Posted: 22-Aug-23
Location: Columbia Charleston or Greenville, South Carolina
Type: Full Time
Salary: $69,107 - $162,148 per year
Categories:
Attorney
Salary Details:
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 $69,107 - $162,148 per year, which includes 16.50% locality pay.
Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; alternate work options; 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.
Required Education:
Juris Doctor
Additional Information:
2 openings available.
Telecommuting is allowed.
Internal Number: 23-SC-12091797-AUSA
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina is seeking applications from motivated attorneys who want to join the office's Civil Division; this position will be located in either the Columbia, Charleston, or Greenville Office. Our office is large enough to enjoy a wide variety of case assignments and small enough to be collegial and collaborative. The positions offer a dynamic civil practice with a challenging mix of cases and represent a great opportunity for an attorney seeking greater autonomy and litigation experience.
This is an open continuous announcement for possible additional Civil Division vacancies, with multiple cut-off dates. The first cutoff is September 4, 2023, and thereafter as needed.
Civil AUSAs in our office enjoy a genuine camaraderie in an encouraging, supportive work environment. We currently have 16 litigating attorneys working on two teams, Civil Defense where the United States is a defendant, and Affirmative Civil Enforcement where the United States is a plaintiff.
The positions' primary responsibilities will be the Civil Defense team, including handling medical malpractice and other personal injury torts, employment discrimination, and representing federal employees sued in their individual capacities under Bivens. We contribute to the mission of justice by providing candid and professional assessments of litigation risk and defending against civil litigation to achieve just results.
The positions may also include work on the Affirmative Civil Enforcement team, handling affirmative litigation involving health care fraud and other violations of the False Claims Act, enforcement of environmental laws, and violations of the Controlled Substances Act.
AUSAs handle all phases of litigation, including taking and defending depositions, managing discovery, conducting legal research and analysis, selecting and working with experts, writing briefs and other documents, attending court hearings, arguing motions, representing the United States in mediations and settlement negotiations, and conducting trials. AUSAs communicate regularly with attorneys for other federal agencies, Department of Justice attorneys, opposing counsel, and others.
We invest in the professional development of our AUSAs, including easy access to the National Advocacy Center in Columbia. We encourage and support involvement in local and federal community programs, whether it be bar associations, our two local law schools, or high school mock trial.
Work responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
We place a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspective and encourage applications from all interested eligible candidates, including attorneys from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
Conditions of Employment
You must be a United States Citizen or National.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
If hired, must reside in the district office to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
Qualifications
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member in good standing of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction,* and have at least one year post-J.D. legal experience. *Rule 83.I.04(B)(1) of the Local Civil Rules for the District of South Carolina was amended in 2022 to authorize Department of Justice attorneys to represent the interests of the U.S. in federal court in South Carolina without being a member of the South Carolina Bar. Therefore, applicants may be admitted to the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction.
Preferred qualifications: We prefer at least two years of civil litigation experience, including taking and defending depositions, managing discovery, selecting and working with experts, and participating in mediations, as well as demonstrated research and writing skills.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
About U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina (DOJ)
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.
For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html
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.
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, the...re 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. For more information, please review our full EEO statement.
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.
