This is an open continuous announcement intended to solicit applications to fill a vacancy in Marquette, MI. Applicant lists will be reviewed and referred on July 6th, 2026, and every two weeks thereafter until the vacancy is filled, but no later than December 23, 2026.
Learn more about this agency
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
All United States Citizens and Nationals.
Use your law degree to make a difference! We are seeking a talented attorney to represent the United States in criminal cases as an Assistant United States Attorney. Do justice for your community while honing your trial skills against a talented defense bar before an excellent federal bench. If you are looking for real courtroom experience and decision-making authority over case investigation and trial strategy, this job is for you. We seek only the best because this important work demands the best.
As an AUSA, you will be part of the backbone of the Department of Justice, indispensable in carrying out our mission to uphold the law, and keep our country and community safe. AUSAs are entrusted with significant autonomy to use their judgment and professional skill to pursue justice and do the right thing under the law and Department policies. Criminal Division AUSAs lead the investigation, prosecution, and appeals of a wide variety of important and often complex subject matters, including:
- National Security
- Economic and Cyber Crime
- Domestic Terrorism
- Public Corruption and Health Care Fraud
- Violent and Firearms Offenses
- Drug Trafficking
- Human Exploitation
AUSAs routinely lead cases from initial intake and grand jury investigation, through indictment, pretrial litigation, trial, and appeals. We work closely with federal, state, and local investigative agencies to help disrupt the most serious criminal threats facing our communities. And we advocate extensively, in writing and on our feet, before our U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
As an AUSA in the Western District of Michigan, you will become part of an outstanding team of attorneys and support professionals dedicated to working together in pursuit of our vital mission. We tailor our training, mentorship, and development programs to fit the needs of each attorney as they join our office.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Salary Information: 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
$76,748.00 to $180,078.00 which includes 17.06% locality pay.
Recruitment and Relocation Incentives available upon approval by Executive Office.
Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes such things as
- paid vacation
- sick leave
- paid federal holidays
- life insurance
- health benefits
- Federal pension program (Federal Employee Retirement System) that vests within 5 years of employment
- participation in the Thrift Savings Program with employer matching contributions
- potential signing bonus (recruitment incentive)
- Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program
The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees.
For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html
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.
- Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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:
Applicants should be able to demonstrate the following qualities:
- Ability to work well with client agencies and the public.
- Intelligence and aptitude, measured by professional experience/growth potential, academic record, the writing sample and any interview performance.
- Commitment to excellence, strong work ethic and drive, as may be demonstrated through successful team work, leadership, obstacles overcome and personal, academic and professional achievement.
- Sound judgment and good character.
- Balance, both professionally and personally, in terms of interests and abilities.
- Desire to work as a Criminal Division AUSA in the Marquette office in the Western District of Michigan.
- Prior experience handling victim-centered cases, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and human-trafficking cases, and/or prior experience working with a tribal-justice system.
- Willingness to occasionally travel to the federal courthouses in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo for hearings and trials.
- Have demonstrated the capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment.
- Ideal candidate will have 5 years of litigation experience but candidates with less experience will be considered.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
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 range of basic pay is $76,748.00 to $180,078.00 which includes 17.06% locality pay.
Other Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; 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: Occasional Travel required.
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): 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.
EEO Statement/Policy: 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
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: 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.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
- Required: Your response to the Candidate Questionnaire located here.
- Required: Writing sample.
- 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 or 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 12/23/2026 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 Western District of Michigan at 6164562404 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 Western District of Michigan who can be reached at 6164562404 or [email protected]
Britni Michael
Address
Western District of Michigan
330 Ionia Avenue
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
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
Posted 06/23/26 · Apply by 12/23/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 23, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$76,748 - $180,078 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
Occasional travel - 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
Top Secret
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
- Suitability/Fitness
- National security
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-MIW-12990344-AUSA
