Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

The U.S Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, with approximately 190 Assistant United States Attorneys, is among the largest in the country. The office prosecutes federal crimes and represents the interests of the United States in civil cases. The Southern District of Texas stretches from the Houston area southwest to the Mexican border. The U.S.Attorney's Office operates staffed offices in Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.

These positions are located in Brownsville and McAllen, Texas in support of border wall civil litigation.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers

For more information on the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, visit: http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

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.

Type of Position: This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 14 months. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition.

Conditions of employment

You must be a United States Citizen or National.

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.

J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.

Type of Position:This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 14 months. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition.

Qualifications

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.

Preferred Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have at least four (4) years of civil litigation experience in litigation of land condemnation cases, oil and gas disputes, and real estate matters. Other desirable casework includes employment litigation, torts, immigration, and bankruptcy. Additional preferred qualifications are first-chair federal trial experience, strong academics, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, and exceptional computer literacy skills (internet research, electronic court filing, email and word processing systems). Ideal candidates will also possess demonstrated analytical ability, good judgment and courtroom skills, and a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility, and public service. Texas Bar membership is preferred, but not required. Spanish language proficiency is helpful, but not required.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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 his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).