Assistant United States Attorney

United States Attorneys' Offices; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Holidays

Life insurance

Health benefits

Federal Employee Retirement System

Job summary

United States Attorneys' Offices in the Western District of Virginia seeks Assistant United States Attorneys in the Civil Division to handle a broad civil docket from the Roanoke or Charlottesville offices. You will represent the United States as Plaintiff or Defendant, with opportunities to lead investigations and complex motions.

The position requires a J.D. degree, active bar admission, and U.S. citizenship. Telework options and a comprehensive federal benefits package are available.

Qualifications

• Must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar in any U.S. jurisdiction.
• United States citizenship is required.
• Initial appointment subject to satisfactory background checks and selective service registration.

Responsibilities

• Represent the United States in a wide range of civil litigation, in Roanoke or Charlottesville.
• Lead investigations, prosecutions, and motion practice in federal civil matters.
• Conduct discovery, interviews, depositions, and hearings; prepare and argue dispositive motions.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Litigation skills

Citizenship: US

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

Summary

This is an open-continuous announcement for Assistant United States Attorneys in the Civil Division of our Roanoke or Charlottesville offices. This announcement will remain open until all available positions are filled. Primary consideration will be given to applicants who apply by Sunday, September 6, 2026. Additional applicants will be reviewed and referred every week thereafter until the vacancies are filled, but no later November 27, 2026.

Duties and Responsibilities

The mission of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia ("USAO-WDVA") is to enforce our Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, to provide federal leadership in preventing and reducing crime, and to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior. We strive to build a stronger office through in-depth recruitment efforts and maintain our high standards by promoting professional development. The Western District of Virginia covers approximately 60 percent of Virginia's land area and serves a population of 2.2 million. It comprises 52 counties and 18 independent cities. Currently, over thirty (30) Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) assigned to the Western District prosecute cases and represent the United States in a wide variety of complex civil matters in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Abingdon, Harrisonburg, and Lynchburg.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia is soliciting applications to be an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) within the Civil Division in the Roanoke or Charlottesville, Virginia office. The successful candidate will join our team of civil AUSAs who handle a wide variety of affirmative and defensive litigation on behalf of the United States of America.

An appointment as a Civil AUSA offers a unique and challenging experience for a highly motivated attorney: the opportunity to handle their own caseload in which they represent the United States as either Plaintiff or Defendant depending on the circumstances. On the affirmative side, the AUSA will lead investigations and prosecutions of a wide variety of federal civil offenses, including but not limited to violations of the False Claims Act. On the defensive side, the AUSAs will lead a wide variety of challenging litigation that includes, among other things, representing government agencies and employees under the Federal Tort Claims Act (including primarily medical malpractice, automobile accident, premises liability, and other torts), Title VII, the ADEA, the Rehabilitation Act (employment discrimination), the Administrative Procedures Act (agency actions and decisions), and other statutes. The AUSA will also represent federal employees sued in their individual capacities under Bivens or other federal statutes, and will represent the Bureau of Prisons and its employees in a wide variety of prisoner‑related litigation.

An AUSA engaged in this challenging work spends substantial time on legal research and writing dispositive motions and drafting findings of fact and conclusions of law, as well as substantial time in discovery (interviewing witnesses, taking and defending depositions, working with expert witnesses, propounding and responding to written discovery requests), and representing the United States in mediations and settlement conferences. Although many cases are resolved through dispositive motion or settlement, the AUSA will also represent the United States at bench and jury trials in federal court.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Residency Requirements

Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district‑specific information.

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.

Requirements

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre‑employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
• Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

A federal clerkship and/or experience litigating in federal court is preferred. Only applicants with strong academic records, superior legal research and writing skills, and sound judgment will be considered. Please note: the Department of Justice generally prohibits its attorneys from engaging in the compensated outside practice of law, with the exception of law professors. Attorneys in this category are employed to teach law and are not otherwise engaged in the compensated outside practice of law.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree.

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 $76,748 to $197,100 which includes 17.06% locality adjustment.

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.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Travel

Travel, both inside and outside the District, may be required depending on the needs of a particular case.

Political Appointees (Current and Former)

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 or Non‑Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

EEO Statement/Policy

The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non‑merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

Candidate Profile

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Federal Employee Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

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.

Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.