Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

Assistant United States Attorney (Civil) Hiring Organization: USAO Southern District of Illinois Hiring Office: Attorney Appointment Type: Attorney Permanent Job ID: 26-ILS-12978225-AUSA Location: 9 Executive Dr. Application Deadline: Thursday, December 31, 2026 About the Office The United States Attorney's Office (USAO), Southern District of Illinois is a fast‑paced, collegial, and energetic office which seeks to maintain the highest standards of excellence in the enforcement of federal laws and the representation of the United States. Our headquarters is located in Fairview Heights, Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Our branch offices are located in Benton, Illinois and East St. Louis, Illinois, in or near the federal courthouse. The office presently employs 29 attorneys and 25 support staff. The Southern District of Illinois is comprised of the lower 38 counties of the state of Illinois and has a population of approximately 1.2 million. Our most populous counties, Madison and St. Clair, are adjacent to the Mississippi River and are within the St. Louis metropolitan area. The home page for the USAO‑SDIL may be accessed at The USAO is currently accepting applications from experienced, highly qualified attorneys who have a strong civil litigation background for the position of Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Civil Division of the Fairview Heights office. Our Civil Division defends the United States in a variety of subject areas, including medical malpractice, constitutional torts, employment, and general torts. Additionally, the Division investigates and prosecutes affirmative civil cases on behalf of the United States, including matters involving health care fraud, procurement fraud, and civil rights. AUSAs may be rotated through the various units, to include our Criminal Division, depending upon the district's staffing needs. As needed additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Conditions of Employment You must be a United States Citizen or National. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre‑employment adjudication, including 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. All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are required to serve a 2‑year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. 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. or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Admission to the Illinois bar is not required but is preferred. Three years of post‑J.D. litigation experience is preferred. Applicants must demonstrate a quick analytical ability, good judgment, and superior communication and courtroom skills. Applicants must be team players who exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies. Applicants must have demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment. Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing and will be substantially self‑sufficient in preparing day‑to‑day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills, to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic mail and word processing systems. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. The AD‑905‑21 is the minimum grade level for which applicants may be selected; applicants may be selected up to the AD‑0905‑29 level, based upon years of experience and qualifications. Application Process This is an open‑continuous announcement for an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of our Fairview Heights, Illinois office. First‑round consideration will be given to applications submitted by June 30, 2026, 11:59 pm EDT . Thereafter, review of applications received from this announcement will be conducted periodically to fill additional positions as they become available within the district. Recruitment for this position is open Tuesday, June 9, 2026 through 11:59 (ET) Thursday, December 31, 2026 . Required Application Materials Online Occupational Questionnaire – completion is required automatically during the online process. Writing Sample – limit to 20 pages. Resume – cannot exceed two pages; exceeding this limit will result in ineligibility. Proof of bar membership. Recent copy of an SF‑50 (Notification of Personnel Action), if applicable. Documentation for Veterans' Preference, if applicable. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. Volunteer work can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. How You Will Be Evaluated Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. An attorney interview panel will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified by phone or email if selected for an interview. Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding 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 Pay Pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $78,695.00 to $184,647.00, which includes 20.03% locality pay. Number of Positions 1 Travel Occasional travel within and outside of the district will be required for training, case requirements, and court proceedings. Travel requirements will vary depending upon the needs of any particular case assignment. Relocation Expenses Relocation expenses will not be authorized. #J-18808-Ljbffr The United States Department of Justice