Assistant U.S. Attorney (Criminal Appeals Section)

U.S. Department of Justice; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation expenses

Job summary

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, seeks exceptional attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys in the Criminal Appeals Section in Los Angeles.

AUSAs handle Ninth Circuit matters, supervise briefs and oral arguments, and advise trial teams on complex criminal procedure issues. Applicants must have a J.D., be an active bar member (California bar eligibility if not already admitted), and be a U.S. citizen.

Qualifications

• J.D. Degree and active bar membership are required.
• If not active in California, pass the California bar exam after hire.

Responsibilities

• Supervise or handle all criminal matters before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Editorial control over briefs and moot courts for all oral arguments.
• Provide counsel to trial attorneys on difficult legal issues in criminal procedure and strategy.

Skills

Legal writing

Courtroom presence

Public service

Litigation experience

Judicial clerkship

Education

J.D. Degree

Job description

Assistant U.S. Attorney (Criminal Appeals Section)

Hiring Organization

USAO Central District of California

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

27-CAC-13080392-AUSA

Location: 312 North Spring Street

Application Deadline:

Thursday, September 30, 2027

About the Office

The United States Attorneys Office for the Central District of California (USAO) is responsiblefor representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Central District of California. This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. With an authorized strength of approximately 280 Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs), the USAO is the second largest in the country. The USAO is divided into three litigating Divisions (Criminal, National Security, and Civil). The USAO's main offices are in Los Angeles. The USAO's Criminal Division has branch offices in Santa Ana and Riverside.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justicefor all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Job Description

The U.S. Attorneys Office for Central District of California is seeking to hire exceptional attorneys to serve as AUSAs in the Criminal Appeals Section. AUSAs in the Criminal Appeals Section supervise or handle all of the Office's criminal matters before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals-including some 200 briefs and nearly 100 oral arguments each year. These cases involve some of the most challenging legal issues in criminal law, including constitutional challenges to criminal convictions, statutory issues of first impression, sentencing challenges, and appeals from substantial (and often high-profile) trials. AUSAs in the section also work closely with the Solicitor General's Office to determine which cases raise significant legal issues that are worthy of government appeal, en banc rehearing, or Supreme Court review.

AUSAs in the section also provide counsel to trial attorneys on difficult legal issues, developing significant expertise in criminal procedure and strategy.

The position provides a unique opportunity to gain substantial experience before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Although AUSAs from other sections write and argue many of their own appeals, AUSAs from the Criminal Appeals Section have editorial control over all briefs, hold moot courts for all oral arguments, and write and handle their own appeals. In addition, they provide counsel to trial attorneys on difficult legal issues, developing significant expertise in criminal procedure and strategy.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction). If not already an active member of the California bar, any applicant hired will be required to take and subsequently pass the California bar exam. AUSAs must become active members of the California bar and maintain California bar membership. United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications: Hiring for AUSA positions within the USAO is highly competitive. The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest. Litigation experience, superior academic record, excellent writing skills, impeccable character, demonstrated interest in public service, courtroom presence, and the ability to work with and relate to a wide variety of people are all taken into account. Most attorneys hired have several years of experience, although highly qualified recent graduates with some experience in practice or as a judicial clerk are also considered. Ties to the Central District of California will be considered.

All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

United States citizenship is required.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon time of applying.

Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience.

The following years of experience as a license attorney or law clerk determined the AD grade. AD-21: 0-2 years AD-23: 3-4 years AD-25: 5 years AD-26: 6 years AD-27: 7 years AD-28: 8 years AD-29: 9 plus years. The range of pay is $114,525 to 197,100 for AD 21 through AD 29.

Number of Positions

2

Travel

No Travel is required.

Relocation Expenses

You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.

This and othervacancy 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.