Special Attorney (FFTL)

Commonwealth of Kentucky; Frankfort (KY); On-site; USD 104,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth of Kentucky is seeking a Special Attorney (FFTL) to serve as a cross-designated prosecutor in the Attorney General's Office, with obligations in the Eastern and Western US Attorney’s Offices. This three-year, grant-funded role covers drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and criminal aliens across Kentucky and the United States.

The position requires a J.D. degree, Kentucky bar admission, and at least four years of prosecutorial experience, with strong trial and organizational

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active member of the Kentucky bar.
• Minimum four years as a licensed attorney/prosecutor.
• Ability to work collaboratively with state and federal partners.

Responsibilities

• Prosecute criminal cases across Kentucky; handle related appeals.
• Coordinate with state and federal law enforcement partners.
• Prepare witnesses, briefs, and trial materials; maintain high ethical standards.

Skills

Prosecutor experience

Trial experience

Organizational skills

Education

J.D. degree and Kentucky bar

Job description

Advertisement Closes 10/30/2026 (11:59 PM ET)

2605210

Special Attorney (FFTL)

Salary $115,000.00 Annually

Employment Type EXECUTIVE BRANCH | FULL TIME | INELIGIBLE FOR OVERTIME PAY | NON-CHAPTER | 37.5 HR/WK

Click here for more details on state employment.

Hiring Agency General Government Cabinet | Attorney General

Location 1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 200 Frankfort, KY 40601 USA

Description

The Kentucky Office of the Attorney General is seeking to enhance public safety and operational capacity through the strategic cross-designation of two qualified prosecutors. One will be a state prosecutor within the Attorney General’s Office and cross designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney with the Eastern United States Attorney’s Office and the second with Western United States Attorney’s Office in Kentucky. This is a three-year grant funded position designed to address drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud and illegal criminal aliens in our Commonwealth and the United States.

These positions offer an exciting and challenging career opportunity in collaboration with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, the Eastern and Western United States Attorney’s Offices and the National Fraud Enforcement Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Both prosecutors will cover all 120 counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on the state level. One of the cross-designated prosecutors will work in the Eastern United States Attorney’s Office. The Eastern District covers 67 counties and has offices in Lexington, Ashland, Covington, Frankfort and London. The Western District covers the remaining 53 counties and two military facilities, Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. The Western District has offices in Louisville, Owensboro, Bowling Green and Paducah. Our mission is to vigorously enforce the federal and state criminal laws in Kentucky and the United States and to effectively represent the interests of Kentuckians. We aim to, meet fully the public safety needs of the community through an efficient, well-coordinated law enforcement effort.

In all matters, our responsibilities are to promote the fair and impartial administration of justice, adhering to the highest ethical, professional and performance standards; promote effective partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the community at large in furtherance of law enforcement; protect the rights of citizens, victims of crime and witnesses; enhance community safety by reducing crime and the fear of crime, through outreach and education; and inspire confidence in the criminal justice system.

Employment with these offices offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated attorney to work on some of the most significant, complex and visible cases being litigated today.

This is a federally funded time-limited (FFTL) position. This means it is a position that is paid entirely as the result of a federal grant. The duration of employment shall not exceed the life of the federal grant that funds the position. An employee appointed to an FFTL position is required to meet the minimum requirements for the classification. Further, an employee appointed to an FFTL position is designated as an unclassified (non-merit) employee. An FFTL employee is eligible to receive benefits at the same level as a classified (merit) employee in a permanent position.

From the initial steps, the cross-designated prosecutor must work closely with state and federal law enforcement partners to establish an investigative plan that prioritizes the identification and collection of critical evidence, ensuring all actions are legally sound and admissible in court. By facilitating regular communication between the multi-disciplinary teams, the candidate will align investigative efforts across counties to avoid procedural conflicts and maximize the efficiency of resource allocation. The candidate must be able to work collaboratively to provide ongoing guidance to the investigators for trial preparation, conduct thorough witness and victim interviews, craft persuasive themes, and navigate the complexities of the federal and state statutes to secure the highest possible conviction on the most readily available charges.

The cross-designated prosecutor selected for this position will be assigned to prosecute the following:

• Drug trafficking, including but not limited to trafficking of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals, illegal drug use and overdose homicides.
• Human Trafficking including but not limited to commercial and labor trafficking of juveniles and adults.
• Fraud, including but not limited to Medicaid Fraud, financial fraud, billing, kickbacks and prescription schemes.
• Criminal aliens, including but not limited to unlawful voting crimes, gang-related crimes, child trafficking and smuggling involving criminal aliens and responding to habeus petitions.

The prosecution of immigration matters includes civil defensive litigation resulting from and/or related to the Department's efforts to enforce the nation's immigration laws and keep the country safe from crime associated with illegal immigration, including but not limited to, civil immigration habeas matters.

The selected candidate will be fully dedicated to the Criminal Division, and will also handle related appeals, including drafting appellate briefs and presenting oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

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

Requirements And 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.
• J.D. degree and active member of the bar in Kentucky.
• This is a temporary grant position for a three-year term. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition.
• Homebase in Frankfort. Cross-designated prosecutors in the East will need to work in Lexington and the cross-designated prosecutors in the West will need to work in Louisville. Travel will be necessary and telecommuting on certain days is available.
• Candidate exhibits trial experience, strong organizational skills, and is self-motivated and directed. Candidates must be comfortable working with other attorneys, police agencies, victim advocates, and crime victims and their families.

Responsibilities Will Include

• Prosecute criminal cases throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky
• Provides assistance to local prosecutors
• Good attention to detail
• Hearing and trial experience
• Knowledge of criminal law statutes
• Strong analytical ability
• Good organizational skills
• A willingness to work with a team

Preferred skill: Four years of experience as a prosecutor.

Successful candidates should have a strong academic background and demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality written work. Successful candidates must work effectively with a team and be able to analyze complex investigations and cases. Successful candidates should possess strong oral skills, character, and interpersonal skills, and have demonstrated the capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment. Successful candidates must also possess the knowledge and ability to use computers and computer applications in performing day-to-day work requirements.

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree and be licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, OR SKILLS: NONE

Substitute EDUCATION for EXPERIENCE: NONE

Substitute EXPERIENCE for EDUCATION: NONE

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS (AGE, LICENSURE, REGULATION, ETC.): Must have four years experience as a licensed attorney in the practice of law. Must be admitted to practice law in Commonwealth of Kentucky and be in good standing. Must maintain any required licensure(s), certification(s), or other credentials for the length of employment in this job classification. Must have a valid driver’s license and maintain during the length of the employment.

If you have questions about this advertisement, please contact Rewa Zakharia at [e-mail] or 502-696-5300.

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D