Assistant United States Attorney

United States Department of Justice; Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 78,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Public service opportunity

Job summary

U.S. Department of Justice in Las Vegas, NV seeks an Assistant United States Attorney to represent the United States in civil litigation, pursue affirmative enforcement and asset forfeiture actions, and defend the government in complex civil matters. The role involves handling tort claims under FTCA, constitutional claims under Bivens, and related agency reviews.

The successful candidate will have a J.D. degree and active bar membership, with preferred 3+ years of federal litigation experience

Qualifications

• Requires J.D. degree and active bar admission in any U.S. jurisdiction.
• Preferred candidate has at least 3 years of federal litigation experience.
• Experience taking and defending depositions of lay and expert witnesses; ability to work with expert witnesses.

Responsibilities

• Represent the United States in civil litigation across a wide range of matters.
• Pursue affirmative civil enforcement and/or asset forfeiture actions for federal government.
• Defend the United States in civil actions, including FTCA tort claims and Bivens-based claims.
• Handle employment-related litigation, bankruptcy matters, and APA judicial review as needed.

Skills

Federal litigation experience

Deposition of lay and expert witnesses

Expert witness disclosures

Education

J.D. degree (or equivalent)

Active bar admission (any U.S. jurisdiction)

Job description

This position is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

This position is open until filled. However, first round consideration will be given to applications submitted by January 4, 2027, 11:59 pm, EST. Applicant lists will be reviewed approximately every 30 days.

The attorney filling this position will serve the United States by representing the federal government, its agencies, and its employees in a wide range of civil litigation. This critical role contributes directly to the fair and effective enforcement of federal laws and the protection of public resources.
A primary focus of the position is pursuing affirmative civil enforcement and/or asset forfeiture actions on behalf of the federal government. Through this proactive litigation, the attorney plays a key role in combating fraud, imposing civil penalties, pursuing asset forfeitures, and recovering debts owed to the United States. These efforts are essential to safeguarding public funds and ensuring accountability, offering a challenging and impactful opportunity to enforce the law vigorously.
In addition to affirmative litigation, the attorney may also defend the United States in civil actions. This defensive work includes handling tort claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act - such as premises liability, vehicle accidents, and medical malpractice - as well as constitutional tort claims brought under Bivens against federal employees. The attorney may also address employment-related litigation, bankruptcy matters, and judicial review of agency decisions under the Administrative Procedure Act, ensuring a comprehensive representation of the government's interests.
This position offers the opportunity to serve the public interest while working on complex and meaningful legal matters. As your training and experience progress, responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more challenging, allowing you to grow in your role as a steward of justice on behalf of the United States.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications: The Preferred candidate will have at least 3 years of federal litigation experience. The preferred candidate must have experience taking and defending depositions of lay and expert witnesses. The preferred candidate must also have experience working with expert witnesses, including locating expert witnesses, and preparing expert witness disclosures.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

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.

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).
• Recommended: A writing sample.
• 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 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.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

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 $78,384 to $197,100 which includes the locality rate for the area. A relocation or recruitment bonus may be considered.

Number of Positions

One

Travel

Occasional travel may be expected.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses may be authorized.

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.