Hiring Organization
USAO Central District of California
Hiring Office
Civil Division- Location Santa Ana, CA
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-CAC-12877015-AUSA
Location:
411 W. 4th Street, Suite 8000
Santa Ana, CA 92701 - United States
Application Deadline:
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
About the Office
The United States Attorneys Office for the Central District of California (USAO) is responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation in the District. Civil Division AUSAs represent the United States at both the trial and appellate levels. This includes criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. With an authorized strength of approximately 280 Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs), the USAO is the second largest in the country. The Civil Division into five sections (Complex and Defensive Litigation, Civil Fraud, Civil Rights, Tax and Bankruptcy, and Civil Appeals) The USAO's main offices are in Los Angeles.
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
The U.S. Attorneys Office for Central District of California is seeking to hire exceptional attorneys to serve as AUSAs in the Civil Division. An ideal candidate will have a strong work ethic, a solution-oriented mindset, excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong oral advocacy skills to represent the DOJ in a variety of contexts including, but not limited to, court hearings, depositions/interviews, and settlement conferences. A Civil AUSA candidate should also have a strong and demonstrated commitment to public service, attention to detail, and exercise sound judgment and show integrity and honesty in following Department of Justice and United States Attorney's Office policies.
A Civil Division AUSA must have a strong and demonstrated commitment to public service; possess outstanding oral and written advocacy skills, organizational ability, and attention to detail; exercise sound judgment and show integrity and honesty in following Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Office policies; come to work with enthusiasm, dedication, and energy; and work well independently and with others, negotiating effectively and handling matters in court persuasively on behalf of the United States.
Hiring AUSAs in the Civil Section of the Civil Division. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Persons with pending applications with the USAO need not reapply.
Qualifications
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any US jurisdiction), and have at least 1* years post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. A minimum of at least 3 years of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience is required. If not already an active member of the California bar, any applicant hired will be required to take and subsequently pass the California bar exam. AUSAs must become active members of the California bar and maintain California bar membership.
Preferred qualifications: Hiring for AUSA positions within the USAO is highly competitive. The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest. Litigation experience, superior academic record, excellent writing skills, impeccable character, demonstrated interest in public service, courtroom presence, and the ability to work with and relate to a wide variety of people are all taken into account. Most attorneys hired have several years of experience, although highly qualified recent graduates with some experience in practice or as a judicial clerk are also considered. Ties to the Central District of California will be considered. All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation. United States citizenship is required. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Application Process
Attorneys seeking a position as an AUSA should complete:
To be considered for a position, applications must be submitted by 11:59pm (EST) on September 30, 2026. Applicant will only be accepted through USAJobs website at:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/856856200
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 - A cover letter and a one-page resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year).
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.
Resumes will not be accepted by fax or regular mail.
This position is open until filled, but applications will be considered on a rolling basis until September 30, 2026.
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.
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.
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
AUSA pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number years of professional attorney experience. The range of pay is $114,526 to $197,100 per year.
