Assistant United States Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Seattle-based duty location, seeks an Assistant United States Attorney to join the Asset Forfeiture Unit in the Criminal Division.

You will identify assets tied to federal crimes, assist in forfeiture actions, and litigate third-party claims as part of a complex enforcement program. You will perform legal research and writing, work with prosecutors and investigators, and handle civil,

Qualifications

• J.D. degree required; active membership in the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
• United States citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Participate in investigations identifying assets tied to federal crimes.
• Assist prosecutors in asset forfeiture actions and related civil litigation.
• Conduct legal research and drafting, including day-to-day pleadings; prepare day-to-day correspondence.

Skills

Analytical ability

Oral & writing skills

Research skills

Communication

Courtroom skills

Education

J.D. degree

Active bar membership

Tools

Computer literacy

Job description

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

27-WAW-13087438-AUSA

Location: 700 Stewart St

Application Deadline:

Monday, November 2, 2026

About the Office

The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Western District of Washington (WDWA) is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation in Western Washington that involves the United States. A large portion of the work involves investigating and pursuing criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law. The office also handles civil lawsuits by or against a Department or agency of the United States, actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers, and matters to ensure the Civil Rights of Washingtonians are protected. The USAO is divided into two litigating Divisions (Criminal and Civil). The main office is located in Seattle, Washington and a branch office is located in Tacoma, Washington. The office has an authorized strength of approximately 84 Assistant United States Attorneys.

This announcement is for one (1) available vacancy. The duty location will be located in Seattle, WA.

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

The position will be located in the Criminal Division's Asset Forfeiture Unit of the Western District of Washington. Asset Forfeiture Unit attorneys participate in investigations to identify assets tied to federal crimes, assist prosecutors in the forfeitures associated with criminal cases, and bring appropriate civil actions against assets that constitute the proceeds of, or that were used to facilitate or conceal, those crimes, including handling the litigation of all third-party claims of ownership of assets forfeited from the defendant.

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).

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Ideal qualifications include at least five (5) years of post-J.D. litigation experience, and experience in the field of asset forfeiture and/or financial investigations involving money laundering.

Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability and an ability to synthesize a wide range of data, help direct an investigation and have the ability to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case. Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and writing skills, strong research and interpersonal skills, and good judgment. Applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills, and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment and in the highest ethical manner.

Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing, and will be substantially self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants also must demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills.

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

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Required - Your responses to theOnlineOccupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the online application process).
• Required - Your resume (not to 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 - Cover Letter referencing vacancy announcement 27-WAW-13087438-AUSA. Candidates for the position are requested to address the following in their cover letter and/or resume, to the extent applicable:
  • Experience in asset forfeiture matters;
  • Commitment to/interest in Asset Forfeiture;
  • Experience working on complex civil litigation including:
    • Managing or organizing teams in litigation, including supervision of paralegals as part of litigation team
    • Working on civil discovery, including taking depositions, drafting and responding to discovery requests
  • Experience in conducting or overseeing financial investigations;
  • Experience in white collar criminal cases, including investigations/cases involving money laundering.
• Required - Writing Sample. Include a sample of your legal writing, such as a portion or all of an appellate brief, memorandum of points and authorities, or opinion letter. The writing sample should be a recent example of your work and demonstrate your ability to analyze legal issues and present that analysis in written form. The sample should be predominantly your own work. If the document was edited by others, include a cover memo that briefly describes the level of editing that occurred. Please limit your writing sample to 10 pages.
• 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.
• Current Department of Justice Employees are encouraged to include a copy of their most recent annual performance evaluation (optional).
• 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.

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$86,261 to $197,100, which includes 31.57% locality pay.

Number of Positions

1

Travel

Occasional travel within and outside the District will be required.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses are not 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.