Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

Summary

The United States Attorney’s office serves the 40 northern counties of Ohio. Our office is responsible for enforcing federal criminal law, which includes a wide range of crimes dealing with national security, public corruption, civil rights, drug trafficking and firearms offenses, among others. Our office is actively engaged in the community, ensuring the rights of victims, working with schools, numerous law enforcement agencies to prevent crime and keep Northern Ohio safe.

Duties

• The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is seeking attorneys with civil litigation experience.
• This vacancy will fill positions in our Cleveland and Toledo offices.
• Our Civil Division defends the United States, its agencies and federal employees when they are named as defendants in civil suits.
• The civil division brings affirmative actions on behalf of the United States in areas as diverse as protecting the environment, ensuring fair housing and addressing health care fraud, recovering tens of millions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse each year.
• Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
• More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree

How You Will Be Evaluated

Evaluation Method: Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. Veterans’ Preference: 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 indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. 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 (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf 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 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). 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.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• – Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process). – Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages – you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages – see USAJOBS for formatting requirements.
• Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job: Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade), Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
• Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).
• Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
• You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. – Required, if applicable: To get Veterans’ Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation.
• See the “How you will be Evaluated” section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans’ Preference documentation.
• It is also recommended that you include veterans’ preference information in your cover letter or resume.
• 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.
• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.