Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

Assistant United States Attorney (Civil)

Hiring Organization

USAO District of Oregon

Hiring Office

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

26-OR-13062419-AUSA-CIVIL

Location: 1000 SW Third Avenue

Location: 1000 SW Third Avenue
Suite 600
Portland , OR 97204 - United States

Application Deadline:

Monday, October 5, 2026

About the Office

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon is seeking experienced attorneys to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorneys in our Civil Division. These positions are located in our District's headquarters in Portland, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We seek motivated individuals who enjoy working on a variety of challenging litigation matters while supported by colleagues of the highest caliber.

Although the District of Oregon encompasses the entire state, these positions are located in our District's headquarters in Portland, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, near the Cascade Mountains and just a short drive to the Pacific Ocean (1.5 hours west), the vineyards in the Willamette Valley (30 minutes west), the Columbia River Gorge recreation area (30 minutes east), and the ski slopes of majestic Mount Hood (1.5 hours east) Portland itself is home to an eclectic mix of neighborhoods, a superb food scene, a system of extensive parks, and many recreational opportunities on the Willamette River, which runs through the city.

Job Description

Working for the Department of Justice as an AUSA provides tremendous opportunities to develop litigation skills at an accelerated rate. Few litigation positions, whether in private practice, government or military service, offer such rich and varied experiences and responsibilities. Working in the Civil Division, you will be a part of a dedicated team representing the United States and federal agencies in a variety of cases, including employment, tort, medical malpractice, constitutional claims and civil rights, the Freedom of Information Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, the False Claims Act, and financial litigation. Most of our work involves defending government agencies, but we also handle certain affirmative litigation in which the government is the plaintiff.
We are seeking motivated individuals who enjoy working on a wide variety of challenging litigation matters while supported by colleagues of the highest caliber. AUSAs are encouraged to grow professionally through the support of mentors and the Department of Justice's world-class training resources, including by periodically attending seminars at the DOJ's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The complexity of cases assigned will increase as individuals gain valuable experience and confidence.
AUSAs in the Civil Division are active at both the trial and appellate levels. Day-to-day responsibilities include working with government agencies to gather information and evidence, conducting civil investigations of claimed violations of federal law and applicable Oregon state law, engaging in motion practice and oral argument, taking and defending depositions, preparing and responding to written discovery, negotiating settlements, preparing cases for trial, trying cases, and briefing and arguing appeals.
The AUSAs hired into these positions will litigate a variety of civil defensive cases, as well as affirmative civil enforcement, affirmative civil rights, and bankruptcy cases. Defensive cases may include medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death claims; employment discrimination; immigration and Bureau of Prisons habeas claims; challenges to agency actions under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA); suits seeking the release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); and defending government officials sued in their individual capacities for alleged constitutional violations (Bivens actions). The primary affirmative civil enforcement area of practice is False Claims Act (Qui Tam) cases and investigations, including whistleblower actions. Bankruptcy cases include creditor representation in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 cases.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

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:
Applicants should be capable of managing numerous ongoing litigation matters - including juggling court appearances, depositions and deadlines for discovery - in a collegial, supportive manner. Applicants should have experience appearing in court, arbitrations, and/or depositions. Trial experience is preferred. Applicants should possess superior research and writing abilities, with the ability to prepare high-quality, persuasive pleadings. Writing is a major aspect of every civil AUSA's portfolio. Applicants should have experience handling litigation from initial case filing through discovery and dispositive motions.
Applicants should possess impeccable judgment and the proven ability to work independently, while also being self-aware enough to know when they need supervisory input with difficult or sensitive issues.

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 $79,667 to $197,100 which includes locality pay.

Number of Positions

Many

Travel

Occasional travel within and outside the District will be required.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

This and othervacancy 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.