ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
SOCIAL SECURITY LITIGATION UNIT, CIVIL DIVISION
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
About the Office: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) is seeking experienced attorneys for positions as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) in the Social Security Litigation Unit of the Civil Division. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney you would join one of the nation’s premier litigation offices representing the United States of America in three of New York City’s five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island – and all of Long Island, as well as the district’s surrounding waters. The Eastern District of New York encompasses approximately eight million people, major international air and sea ports, extraordinary commercial and cultural activity, and a diversity and vitality that makes this a unique and exciting place to live and work.
AUSAs in the Civil Division’s Social Security Litigation Unit are responsible for handling a substantial volume of cases brought under the Social Security Act, both before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The majority of cases involve defending the Commissioner of Social Security in appeals brought in the District Court, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g), from agency decisions denying applications for various types of benefits under the Social Security Act, including disability insurance benefits, supplemental security income benefits, childhood disability benefits, and retirement and survivor benefits. AUSAs in the Social Security Litigation Unit may also be assigned to defend the Social Security Administration and its components against constitutional, statutory, and procedural challenges to agency regulations, programs, and policies, whether such actions are brought as class actions or as mandamus, injunctive, or declaratory judgment actions. AUSAs in the Unit may also be assigned to defend the Social Security Administration in litigation brought under the Freedom of Information Act, and also to defend the decisions of the Secretary of Health and Human Services in challenges brought by providers and beneficiaries to decisions denying Medicare claims and reimbursements.
The Civil Division has two offices, a main office located in Brooklyn, presently staffed by approximately 33 AUSAs and a number of Special AUSAs, and an office in the Central Islip, Long Island, staffed by 6 AUSAs and a number of Special AUSAs.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The applicant selected for the Civil Division’s Social Security Litigation Unit will represent the Commissioner of Social Security, the Social Security Administration, and occasionally the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as an AUSA in all aspects of federal litigation under the Social Security Act, from pleadings through appeal. This includes review of administrative records, analysis of the defensibility of agency decisions, preparation and filing of pleadings, conduct of discovery (where applicable), negotiation and drafting of stipulations, briefing and arguing of motions and appeals, and many other tasks. If hired, the applicant’s time will be fully dedicated to Social Security litigation.
Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), possess proven research and writing abilities, superior oral and interpersonal skills and judgment, and have demonstrated initiative and capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. Generally, applicants should have at least three years of post J.D. litigation experience. Experience and expertise in the field of Social Security litigation, or more broadly federal benefits litigation, is a significant plus, but is not required for the position.
Travel: Some travel may be necessary.
Salary Information: AUSAs’ pay is administratively determined, based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience.
Location: All positions will be in the Brooklyn office.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Application Process and Deadline Date: Submit a cover letter and resume to: William J. Muller, Esq., Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office, 271 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Thereafter, you will receive an application packet with further instructions. No telephone calls please. Position(s) open until filled.
Internet Sites: EDNY’s web site may be accessed at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nye.
Department Policies: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. It is the policy of the Department of Justice to achieve a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation adjudicated by the Department of Justice.