Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Trial Attorney (Asset Forfeiture Fellow)

Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Criminal Division

Summary

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/29/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 29, 2026
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Limited situational telework in accordance with agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$85,447 - $158,322 per year

Unless you have prior federal experience that can be used for pay matching, you will likely start at step 1 for the grade in which you qualify.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Promotion potential
15
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - Periodic domestic and international travel is required for cases, training and inter-agency coordination.
Appointment type
Term - 36 months
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-CRM-MNF-023
Control number
873029900

Duties

Help

As an Asset Forfeiture Fellow in the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of MNF, the incumbent conducts and monitors investigations, prepares and conducts trials and related litigation, and advises on pleadings and other court filings, in close consultation with Unit management and more experienced attorneys. As a Trial Attorney, the incumbent:

  • Gains expertise in money laundering and forfeiture laws, supporting and leading financial investigations to dismantle money laundering organizations.
  • Contributes to the development and maintenance of the Section's program to target financial facilitators; and fosters effective national investigation and prosecution of money laundering. This includes advising on strategy and legal complexities and participating in efforts to develop litigation priorities, policy, and legislative recommendations.
  • Under the guidance of unit management and more senior prosecutors leads, supports and undertakes the most complex investigations and prosecutions within the federal courts throughout the United States; makes charging decisions and proposes dispositions with regard to assigned cases, issues lacking precedent, and other challenges in compliance with Department, Division, and Section policies and practices.
  • Coordinates, deconflicts and partners with U.S. Attorneys and attorneys in other federal law enforcement agencies in the development and management of investigations and prosecutions money laundering organizations. Advises and instructs federal agents and U.S. Attorneys on complicated questions of law and Departmental policy.
  • Consults with, and briefs unit management, as well as the Section Chief and Principal Deputy Chief, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and the Assistant Attorney General as necessary, on the status of all cases and matters related to enforcement against complex money laundering organizations.
  • Helps to coordinate the preparation and litigation assignments of paralegals and clerical personnel.
  • Participates in outreach and training conducted by MNF trial attorneys throughout the United States and abroad.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
  • You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
  • All male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the selective service. If selected, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • Except as indicated under the qualifications section, applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • A two-year trial period may be required.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Grade Specific Qualifications:

  • To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent degree.
  • To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) year of post J.D. legal experience. Examples of specialized experience include: conducting legal research, drafting opinions and memoranda on criminal and civil matters, and assisting in preparation of dispositions. Applicants who do not currently have one year of post J.D. legal experience may apply for consideration at the GS-12 level if they indicate they expect to have one year of post J.D. legal experience by Fall 2026.
  • To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must have at least one and a half (1.5) years of post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-12 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; composing pleadings, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; and conducting civil or criminal litigation.

Education

A J.D., or equivalent, degree.

Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement.

The Criminal Division participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

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. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website.

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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are 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.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please reach out to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov or (202) 514-0361 for alternative application procedures.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at CRM.RA@usdoj.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Fair Chance to Compete: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12979514.

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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. 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, 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).

Offices, Boards and Divisions

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the command and control of international drug trafficking organizations. MNF, in partnership with the Justice Management Division's Asset Forfeiture Management Staff, leads the Department's Asset Forfeiture Program (AFP) and provides oversight of the Assets Forfeiture Fund (AFF). MNF administers the Department's asset forfeiture victim compensation program, which has provided over $12B in compensation for victims between 2000 and 2025, and the Department's equitable sharing program supporting over 6,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. MNF also provides expert guidance to and coordinates with Department leadership and components and federal, state, local, and foreign jurisdictions in prosecuting money laundering, financial institution cases, asset recovery matters, cartels, transnational criminal organizations and drug traffickers. The Section provides assistance to the Department, other agencies, and Congress by advising on legislative proposals to enhance the Department's ability to take the profit out of crime and combat transnational narcotics trafficking.

Agency contact information

Human Resources

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Offices, Boards and Divisions, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.justice.gov/criminal

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.