Criminal Assistant United States Attorney

United States Attorneys' Offices; Billings (MT); On-site; USD 77,000 - 201,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Holidays

Telework

Life insurance

Health benefits

Federal retirement system

Job summary

The United States Attorneys' Offices seeks experienced, prosecution‑oriented Assistant United States Attorneys to join the Criminal Division in Billings, Helena, and Great Falls. You will prosecute federal offenses, work with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and represent the United States in hearings, trials, and appeals. Applicants must have a J.D.

degree and be an active member of the bar; U.S. citizenship is required.

Qualifications

• Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) by their entry on duty date.
• U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Prosecute federal offenses.
• Work with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to investigate criminal activity and represent the United States in hearings, trials, and appeals.
• Draft motions, warrants, and related litigation documents.
• Appear before grand juries and in Court.
• Manage assignments and develop complex legal issues over time.

Skills

Oral & written communication

Legal research

Analytical skills

Advocacy

Team collaboration

Judgment

Organization

Electronic filing

Education

J.D. degree and bar admission

Tools

Electronic filing

Job description

Summary

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana is seeking experienced, motivated, and prosecution-oriented attorneys to join its Criminal Division. Positions are available in Billings, Helena, and Great Falls.

Duties

As Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal Division, the selected candidates will be responsible for prosecuting federal offenses. Case assignments will depend on the candidate's experience, interests, and the needs of the district, and may include matters such as drug trafficking, child exploitation, gang activity, illegal firearms offenses, unlawful immigration, national and border security violations, elder abuse, cybercrime, intellectual property theft, financial crimes, and a wide range of fraud and corruption cases (including government, health care, banking, securities, corporate, federal procurement, bankruptcy, and federal tax offenses). The district also seeks candidates who are passionate about prosecuting violent crimes against victims, including domestic violence occurring in Indian Country. These prosecutors will work closely with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to investigate criminal activity, research and brief complex legal issues, and represent the United States in hearings, trials, and appeals.

Day‑to‑day responsibilities include working with law enforcement agencies and others to investigate allegations of criminal conduct, researching legal issues, drafting motions or motion responses, drafting search warrants, appearing before grand juries and in Court, and other litigation‑related duties. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Out‑of‑district candidates are encouraged to articulate their interest in the District of Montana in their cover letter.

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

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment 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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) by their entry on duty date. Law school graduates and current law students taking a July 2026 bar examination may be considered, subject to the foregoing requirements.

United States citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Superior oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent research and analytical skills;
• High EQ and interpersonal skills, and good judgment;
• Excellent advocacy and courtroom skills;
• The ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies;
• A demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment;
• Excellent organizational capabilities, including the ability to track and meet deadlines across multiple active cases;
• Excellent computer literacy including experience and competence with automated electronic court filing.

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

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree

Additional information

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 $200,743 which included 17.06% locality pay.

Other Benefits

• paid vacation
• sick leave
• holidays
• telework
• life insurance
• health benefits
• participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

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.

Travel

Successful applicants should expect to travel 1-5 nights per month.

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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

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.

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.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.