Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal)

Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal) Hiring Organization USAO District of South Carolina Attorney Appointment Type Attorney Permanent Job ID

26-SC-13034459-AUSA

Location: 1441 Main Street Location: 1441 Main Street Suite 500 Columbia, SC 29201 - United States Application Deadline: Monday, August 31, 2026 About the Office If you are looking for an exciting an challenging career, this is the position for you! With a talented workforce of over 100,000 people. The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our county safe, and protect civil rights. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty, and the property of citizens. The applicant selected for this position will serve with a distinguished staff comprised of approximately 48 attorneys and 47 support staff in representing the interests of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina. The main office is located in Columbia, SC, with branches also located in Florence, Greenville, and Charleston. Each of these cities, along with the entire State of South Carolina, are steeped with history and offers a wonderful climate along with a wide variety of cultural, educational, recreational, and social activities. 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. The Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office in South Carolina provides a fulfilling and supportive work environment. The Criminal Assistant United States Attorneys(AUSAs) enjoy genuine camaraderie with their colleagues while pursuing rewarding careers, both professionally and personally. The Criminal Division is comprised of three Sections - the White Collar, Human Trafficking, and Child Exploitation Section; the Major Crimes Section; and the Narcotics and Organized Crimes Section. In the office's White Collar, Human Trafficking, and Child Exploitation Section, prosecutors handle a wide variety of cases, including financial fraud, healthcare fraud, public corruption, human trafficking, and child exploitation investigations and prosecutions. In the Major Crimes Section, prosecutors handle a variety of matters including violent crime and firearms offenses, as well as immigration offenses. In the Narcotics and Organized Crime Section, prosecutors handle investigations and prosecutions of criminal organizations, including gang prosecutions and narcotics trafficking. Prosecutors in this Section also focus on cases from the Homeland Security Task Force, a multi-agency effort led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI, and HSI to combat transnational criminal organizations. In prosecuting federal crimes, AUSAs work with a broad range of federal agencies, including; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Secret Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Agency; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service; Postal Inspection Service; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and others. Due to the range and complexity of the work, Criminal AUSAs are expected to demonstrate initiative and ability sufficient to independently manage all phases of a criminal case, from investigation to post-conviction litigation. Our AUSAs are required to possess interpersonal skills conducive to working with a variety of federal and state law enforcement agents, defense attorneys, judges, and court staff; oral and written communication skills for presenting cases to the grand jury, representing the government in court hearings, trying cases, writing trial and appellate briefs; and superior character and judgment in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion and the discharge of their duties. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. 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: Preferred candidates will have a strong academic background and excellent research and writing skills. In addition, preferred candidates will possess a strong work ethic, exhibit good organizational skills, exercise fair and sound judgment, be attentive to facts and details, work well both independently and on a team, have leadership skills, be ready and willing to volunteer to assist other AUSAs, possess excellent negotiation skills, and effectively represent the Government's interests at hearings and trials before the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Preferred candidates will also have criminal trial experience (federal or state) or commensurate civil trial experience. Particular knowledge, skills, or training involving civil rights, accounting, banking, tax compliance, or financial investigations is not required but also preferred. 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 is $76,748 to $197,100 which includes 17.06% locality pay. Number of Positions Two vacancies in Columbia, Charleston, Florence, or Greenville, SC. Travel Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Relocation Expenses Relocation expenses will not be authorized. This and othervacancy announcements can be found underAttorney Vacancies andVolunteer 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr The United States Department of Justice