Assistant United States Attorney

Summary

The United States Attorney's Office prosecutes federal criminal offenses, seeks recovery of government funds fraudulently obtained, litigates affirmative civil fraud and enforcement actions, and defends the U.S. Government's interest in civil cases. The United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania has staff in three offices: Harrisburg, Scranton, and Williamsport, and maintains an unstaffed office in Wilkes-Barre.

Duties

The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is accepting applications to fill one permanent Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) position in the Civil Division. The Division is comprised of approximately 12 attorneys, paralegals, an auditor and an investigator. The candidate selected for this position will be handling defensive litigation. Areas of practice will include inmate litigation, habeas corpus, complex defensive litigation matters, including personal injury and medical malpractice, constitutional torts, and employment discrimination. Attorneys in the Civil Division perform tasks related to all stages of litigation. Responsibilities will include motion practice, drafting pleadings, conducting witness interviews, taking depositions, and negotiating settlements Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. 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.

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: The ideal candidate will have superior academic records, strong analytical abilities and judgment, excellent oral advocacy and writing skills. Successful candidates must demonstrate an ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, client agencies, opposing counsel, and court staff. Because most of the civil practice in the U.S. Attorney's Office involves pretrial litigation, applicants must possess superior research and writing abilities and must be able to prepare high-quality and persuasive pleadings. Applicants should have strong interpersonal skills and demonstrate the capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree by Enter on Duty (EOD) date.