About the Office: The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Western District of Washington is responsible for representing the federal government in nearly all litigation involving the United States in the Western District of Washington (WDWA). This includes civil lawsuits by or against a Department or agency of the United States government (both affirmative and defensive litigation), representation of government officials under certain circumstances, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The USAO has an office size of approximately 74 Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) and is divided into two litigating Divisions (Criminal and Civil) as well as an Appellate Division. The USAO’s main office is in Seattle, Washington, with a branch office located in Tacoma, Washington.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
Job Description:
This position will be located in the Civil Division of the WDWA. AUSAs in the Civil Division are responsible for representing the United States government and its Departments, agencies and employees in civil litigation filed in the District. Principle areas of the Division’s defensive practice include cases bought under Title VII alleging discrimination in hiring and employment practices by agencies and Departments of the United States; matters brought pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, covering a wide range of personal injury claims including medical malpractice arising from treatment received at various federal medical facilities; and immigration litigation. Other areas of practice include judicial review of administrative findings, injunctive proceedings, and defending federal employees accused of constitutional violations.
The AUSAs in the Civil Division participate in litigation at both the trial and occasionally at the appellate levels. They take and defend depositions, propound and answer written discovery, negotiate for settlement, engage in motions practice, try cases in the United States District Court and, at times, write appellate briefs and argue before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The attorney hired for this position will be assigned a variety of defensive civil matters involving various areas of federal law, with a focus on employment litigation. Applicants with prior experience handling one or both of the following types of matters should describe that work in their cover letter:
Employment
Tort
Qualifications:
The applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least three years post-J.D. experience. Ideal qualifications include at least five years of post-J.D. litigation experience. Applicants must demonstrate strong analytical skills and the ability to accurately identify the critical issues in a case.
Applicants must also possess superior oral and writing skills, strong research skills, and the ability to exercise good judgment. To be successful, applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills, and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies. Applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment and in the highest ethical manner.
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 also must demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e-mail and word processing systems.
Salary: Assistant United States Attorneys’ pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of pay with locality is $78,538 – 176,200.
Travel: Occasional travel within and outside the District will be required.
Application Process: Interested persons must email the following items in pdf format to the email address listed below:
Nicholas W. Brown
United States Attorney
Attention: Tessa Gorman
First Assistant United States Attorney
700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220
Seattle, Washington 98101
(a) A cover letter referencing Vacancy Announcement: 22-WDWA-AUSA-09 (Civil-Sea/Tac) that states whether the applicant is interested in the Seattle Office, the Tacoma Office or both;
(b) A detailed resume; and
(c) A writing sample meeting the criteria set forth below
Writing Sample: Include a sample of your legal writing, such as a portion or all of an appellate brief, memorandum of points and authorities, or opinion letter. The writing sample should be a recent example of your work and demonstrate your ability to analyze legal issues and present that analysis in written form. The sample should be predominantly your own work. If the document was edited by others, include a cover memo that briefly describes the level of editing that occurred.
No telephone calls please.
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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Application Deadline: Friday, September 30, 2022
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 1 or more