ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
FOR THE CRIMINAL and CIVIL DIVISIONS
District of Puerto Rico
08-PRAUSA-04
About the Office: The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Puerto Rico has jurisdiction and responsibility in a broad range of areas, all of which involve representing the legal interests of the Federal government in the United States District Courts. The office employs over 100 persons, including Assistant United States Attorneys, paralegal specialists, legal assistants, and administrative support staff. We are currently seeking to hire experienced attorneys who will be assigned to the Criminal and Civil Divisions, located in San Juan, PR.
The Criminal Division prosecutes a wide range of federal cases involving organized crime, terrorism, complex securities and fraud cases, narcotics, health care fraud, public corruption, and violent crimes. In addition, the work of the Civil Division mirrors the varied activities of the Federal Government and offers perhaps the most challenging and diverse caseload of any law office, public or private, in the country. AUSAs also represent the United States before the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) have the opportunity to represent the interests of the United States of America in the United District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and, in performing this important public service, to exercise responsibility that is unparalleled in any other job that a litigator might undertake. AUSAs immediately undertake numerous cases, many high profile, in any of several units within each division.
Employment with the USAO offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated attorney: an opportunity to work on some of the most significant, complex and visible cases being litigated today. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty, and property of citizens.
Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jusridiction), and have at least three years post-J.D legal experience which includes significant trial experience, preferably in Federal Court.
Preferred qualifications: Possess superior oral and written communication skills in the English language, as well as strong character and interpersonal skills; have demonstrated the capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. The USAO seeks highly qualified applicants with extensive litigation experience, strong writing skills, excellent credentials, and a demonstrated commitment to public service. All AUSAs are given training by the U.S. Department of Justice and internally by the USAO Training Program.
Candidates must be able to read, write, and speak English. Ability to read, write, and speak Spanish is highly preferred.
Candidates must be computer literate.
ONLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Travel: The AUSA will be required to travel throughout the District of Puerto Rico to attend court proceedings, interview witnesses, take depositions and attend meetings. Travel is also required for training at the Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center, Columbia, South Carolina. Frequent travel to other domestic and foreign destinations is probable.
Salary Information: AUSAs' pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $42,684 to $112,974 plus 13% COLA (Cost of Living Allowance).
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Application Process and Deadline Date: Interested applicants must submit a current resume, a legal writing sample, a brief type-written explanation of your reasons for applying for this position is required (2 paragraphs), and, if available, a current performance appraisal with a cover letter to:
U. S. Attorney’s Office
District of Puerto Rico
ATTN: Pura López, HR Officer
350 Chardón Street
Torre Chardón, Suite 1201
San Juan, PR 00918
No telephone calls please. Applications must be received by September 19, 2008.
Internet Sites: This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html
Department Policies: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed. See 28 U.S.C. § 545 for district-specific information.
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, status as a parent, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or personal favoritism. 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. 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.
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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys’ Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are 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.
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 are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.