Hiring Organization
USAO Southern District of West Virginia
Hiring Office
Criminal Division
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-WVS-12897613-AUSA
Location:
300 Virginia Street
Suite 4000
Charleston, WV 25301 - United States
Application Deadline:
Thursday, August 27, 2026
About the Office
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia prosecutes federal criminal offenses and defends the interests of the United States in civil cases. The office seeks to maintain the highest standards of excellence in the enforcement of federal laws and the representation of the United States.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv
Job Description
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is seeking experienced, highly qualified litigators who have a strong criminal prosecution background, with the intellect and proven ability to handle federal criminal litigation, for the position of Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). The applicants selected would be responsible for a diverse caseload. The positions offer a unique and exciting experience for highly motivated team players with the desire to engage in challenging and important litigation. AUSAs have an opportunity to work on their own caseload and handle their own trials and appeals. Working in the Criminal Division, the AUSAs will be part of a dedicated team helping to prosecute federal criminal cases and prepare appeals.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
The six vacancies are in the district's Charleston, W.Va., and Huntington, W.Va., offices.
Qualifications
Conditions of employment
You must be a United States Citizen or National.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes 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.
Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar in any jurisdiction. Additionally, local rules require all Assistant United States Attorneys to become members of the West Virginia State Bar within one year of appointment.
Applicants should demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the capacity to accurately articulate critical issues in a case.
Superior oral and writing skills, along with strong research and interpersonal skills, are essential. Applicants should also exhibit good judgment.
Applicants must possess excellent communication and courtroom skills and demonstrate the ability to work professionally with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies.
A demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment is required.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
The ideal applicant should be self-motivated, possess impeccable integrity, and demonstrate a commitment to professionalism, ethics, justice, and public service.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Application Process
Offices are located in Charleston, Huntington and Beckley West Virginia. This position will be assigned to work in one of our three office locations. Therefore, please state your location preference in your cover letter.
This is an open-continuous announcement which will be used to fill numerous positions.
First round consideration will be given to applications received by March, 13 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST. Thereafter, review of applications received from this announcement will be conducted periodically to fill additional positions as they become available within the district.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/27/2026 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login , select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact Southern District of West Virginia at 3043402388 or email at
[email protected], prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Southern District of West Virginia who can be reached at 3043402388 or
[email protected]
Required Documents
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
- Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements . Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
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.
Salary
$76,748 to $197,100 per year
Pay scale & grade: AD 21
