The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is seeking federal prosecutors to join one of the largest and most prestigious offices in the country to combat gang violence, cartel networks, and high-dollar corporate and government fraud.
As an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA), you will be leading investigations and prosecutions of serious federal crimes and holding the most dangerous offenders accountable. This is more than a job - it is a calling.
Learn more about this agency
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
All United States Citizens and Nationals
We are hiring for positions across our criminal division: Violent Crimes, Narcotics & Organized Crime, Public Corruption & Civil Rights, Economic Crimes, Healthcare Fraud, and National Security & Cyber Crimes units. Candidates who have federal criminal trial experience may apply to join the white-collar divisions (Economic Crimes, Healthcare Fraud, Public Corruption & Civil Rights), and we are looking for talented and motivated lawyers driven to hunt and prosecute violent offenders, gangs, and cartel members and their associates to join our Violent Crimes or Narcotics & Organized Crime sections.
Our office fosters a collaborative, team-oriented environment. AUSAs typically develop deep experience within a primary unit while also having the opportunity to work on investigations and prosecutions across multiple subject-matter areas, building a broad and impactful practice.
Step into a role where your work directly protects communities and upholds the rule of law. As an AUSA in the Criminal Division, you will:
- Lead high-impact federal investigations and prosecutions - tackling violent crimes, drug trafficking, fraud, public corruption, and immigration offenses
- Build cases from the ground up, partnering with federal agents, developing evidence, and shaping investigative and trial strategy
- Stand in court on behalf of the United States - advocating with clarity, precision, and conviction
- Negotiate, litigate, and try cases that carry real consequences for public safety and national interests
No two days are the same - With each case, your responsibility expands - and so does your impact.
Positions are available in the following units:
For those with significant federal trial experience and an interest in pursuing white collar criminals motivated by greed and abuse of power:
- Healthcare Fraud Unit
- Economic Crimes Unit
- Public Corruption Unit
For those committed to confronting the most dangerous threats to our communities:
- Violent Crimes Unit
- Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit
We are seeking attorneys who bring intensity, sound judgment, and strategic thinking to complex investigations. Successful candidates will manage significant, multi-defendant prosecutions that deliver measurable results for public safety. They will develop and execute sophisticated litigation strategies, present compelling arguments in court, and produce written work that is clear, concise, and analytically rigorous.
This role demands initiative and ownership. AUSAs are empowered to identify emerging threats, open and drive investigations, and work closely with law enforcement and agency partners to pursue the cases that matter most.
If you're ready to take the lead in the courtroom and make a lasting impact, this is where you do it.
Security Requirements: 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.
Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
- 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.
- You must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
- As needed, additional positions may be filled using this annoucement.
- You must meet all qualification requirements prior to your official start date.
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. legal or other relevant experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:Hiring preferences include sharp analytical thinker with strong writing and courtroom skills, a strong academic record, federal clerkship, and a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility and public service. Candidates for the white-collar sections should have a demonstrated proficiency in white-collar/fraud related cases/investigations or federal criminal trial experience.
The ideal candidate will have three or more years of post-J.D. experience litigating cases with substantial responsibility for all aspects of discovery and trial.
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree
Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The total salary range to include the 37.95% Allentown locality pay is $90,444 to $197,100 and the 28.99% Philadelphia locality pay is $90,000 to $197,100.
Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, paid federal holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
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This and other vacancy 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.
Travel: 25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
This is an open continuous announcement that is intended to solicit applications to fill immediate and future vacancies. Hiring will occur on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed as vacancies occur and applicants will be notified when they have been referred for further consideration.
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.
Political Appointees (Current and 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.
Security Requirements: 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.
EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Evaluation Method: 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 if selected for an interview.
The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Required: Cover Letter
- Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
- Required: Resume
- 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:
- Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
- Employer name, location, 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,
- A list of duties performed and accomplishments, and
- Include U.S. bar admissions and memberships whether active or inactive.
- Required: Writing Sample
- Required: Proof of Active Bar Membership (any jurisdiction)
- Required: for Federal Employees, your most recent SF-50
- Required, if applicable: To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter and resume.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.
Current or Former Political Appointees: 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
- Position title,
- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee),
- Agency, and
- Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/21/2026 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 timely.)
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 Eastern District of Pennsylvania at (215) 861 - 8921 or email at [email protected], prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
Stephenie Sar
Address
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
600 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20002
US
We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit and tax checks, and a drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 120 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Accepting applications
Location
8 vacancies in the following locations:
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$90,000 - $197,100 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 21
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-PAE-12820161-AUSA
