Assistant U.S. Attorney

The United States Department of Justice; Erie (Erie County); On-site; USD 79,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Attorney's Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is seeking an Assistant United States Attorney for its Criminal Division. The AUSA will investigate and prosecute federal crimes, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and crimes of violence. This position is located in Erie, PA. Required: J.D.

degree, active bar, and at least one year post‑J.D. legal experience; U.S. citizenship. Preferred: three to eight years of post‑J.D.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active bar membership in any U.S. jurisdiction.
• At least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Preferred: 3–8 years post-J.D. litigation experience and first-chair federal trial experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication and strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and prosecute federal crimes including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, crimes of violence, and other listed matters.
• Assist with prosecution of criminal immigration matters and habeas petitions.
• Respond to calls outside traditional business hours as needed.
• Engage in outreach to communities and partners to improve reporting and crime prevention.

Skills

Oral communication

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Analytical ability

Judgment

Education

J.D. degree

Active bar membership

Tools

Computer literacy

Job description

Western District of Pennsylvania, Criminal Division

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

26-PAW ERIE-13055003-DE

Location: 17 South Park Row

Location: 17 South Park Row
Erie, PA 16501 - United States

Application Deadline:

Friday, September 18, 2026

About the Office

Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
Western District of Pennsylvania | Western District of Pennsylvania
Welcome to Erie, PA - a charming lakeside city nestled along the shores of Lake Erie. Known for its beautiful waterfront, Presque Isle State Park, friendly community, and rich history, Erie offers a relaxed blend of outdoor adventure, local culture, and small-town charm.
This position is located in Erie, PA.

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a talented workforce of over 100,000 people, the mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. You will 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.

Job Description

The United States Attorney's Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is seeking an Assistant United States (U.S.) Attorney for its Criminal Division.

The Assistant U.S. Attorney will have responsibility to investigate and prosecute federal crimes, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, crimes of violence, child exploitation and human trafficking, national security and cybercrimes, money laundering, corporate fraud, and healthcare fraud. The Assistant U.S. Attorney will assist with the prosecution of criminal immigration matters and with responses to civil immigration habeas petitions. The Assistant U.S. Attorney will be expected to respond to reactive calls, on occasion, outside of traditional business hours. The Assistant U.S. Attorney may also be tasked with targeted outreach to communities and strategic partners throughout Western Pennsylvania as a part of the effort to improve victim reporting, crime prevention, offender reentry, and reduction narcotics overdoses.
This position is located in Erie, PA.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one (1) year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
United States citizenship is required.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Preferred Qualifications: The Office seeks attorneys who have outstanding legal ability, high moral character, mature judgment, and demonstrated excellence in handling court proceedings. The ideal candidate will possess superior oral and written communication skills as well as strong interpersonal skills, exhibit superior judgment, and be able to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment while balancing a high case load, which often requires night and weekend work.
Experience litigating criminal cases in federal or state court is desirable. Preferred qualifications include at least three to eight years of post-J.D. litigation experience, including experience handling a variety of complex criminal matters, first-chair federal trial experience, strong academics, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, and a demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Additionally, a quick analytical ability and the facility to articulate the critical issues accurately and precisely in a case is preferred. Excellent computer literacy skills are also preferred.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Security Requirements: 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.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

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 $79,351 to $197,100 which includes 21.03% locality pay.

Other Benefits

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; 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.

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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.

Travel

Occasional Travel

Number of Positions

1