Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

The United States Department of Justice; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 79,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Recruitment incentive

Job summary

The United States Department of Justice seeks Assistant United States Attorneys (Civil) for the Western District of Texas, with vacancies in Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio. The role focuses on both defensive and affirmative civil litigation, including immigration matters and enforcement of federal civil laws.

Applicants must have a J.D., be an active member of the bar, and possess at least 1 year of post-J.D. experience. U.S. citizenship is required for consideration.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction).
• At least 1 year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
• U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Represent the United States government and its agencies in civil litigation in the Western District of Texas and the Fifth Circuit.
• Work in the Civil Division's defensive and affirmative sections, including immigration, employment disputes, tort actions, and challenges to agency actions.
• Engage in depositions, draft and respond to interrogatories, negotiate settlements, file motions, try cases, and write/argue appeals.

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

Hiring Organization

USAO Western District of Texas

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Location: Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio, TX - United States

Application Deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

About the Office

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a diverse and talented workforce of over 100,000 men and women, Justice leads the Nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. You can be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty, and the property of citizens.

The Western District of Texas covers 93,000 square miles and approximately 660 miles of U.S. border with Mexico, putting the District on the front lines of the fight against illegal immigration and transnational organized crime.

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. We strive to build a stronger office through recruitment efforts and maintain the high standards of the office by promoting professional development. We seek to build a legacy of excellence.
In all matters, it is our mission to represent the people of the United States in a manner that will instill confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity. We strive to perform our mission in the most efficient and effective manner.

Job Description

Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation pending in the Western District of Texas and the Fifth Circuit. The civil division is divided into two sections: Defensive and affirmative. Typical defensive practice areas include immigration, employment disputes, tort actions, judicial review of agency decisions, and cases challenging the constitutionality of federal statutes and regulatory schemes. AUSAs in the affirmative section generally bring cases aimed at recovering money procured via fraud against the government or collecting debts. We are seeking AUSAs to handle a wide range of immigration matters including civil defensive litigation resulting from the enforcement of immigration laws. AUSAs in the Civil Division are active at both the trial and appellate levels, taking depositions, preparing and answering interrogatories, negotiating for settlement, engaging in motions practice, trying cases, and writing and arguing appeals.

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 1* year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Hiring preferences include strong academics, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, demonstrated analytical ability, good judgment and courtroom skills, and a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service.

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

Political Appointees (Current or 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.

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 for AD-21 through AD-29 is as follows:

• Austin: $78,905 to $197,100 which includes 20.35% locality pay.
• El Paso: $76,748 to $197,100 which includes 17.06% locality pay.
• San Antonio: $77,876 to $197,100 which includes 18.78% locality pay.

A recruitment incentive may be authorized.

Your cover letter MUST indicate your preferred location(s) in order of preference.

Number of Positions

Few vacancies in the following locations: Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio, Texas

Travel

Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses are not authorized.