Assistant United States Attorney - Civil (Defensive Litigation and/or Affirmative Enforcement)

Assistant United States Attorney - Civil (Defensive Litigation and/or Affirmative Enforcement) Hiring Organization USAO Northern District of New York Hiring Office Civil Division Attorney Appointment Type Attorney Permanent Job ID 26-NYN-12965180-AUSA

Location:

Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, or Syracuse, NY - United States

Application Deadline:

Sunday, June 14, 2026 About the Office The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY) is seeking Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to work in the Civil Division in its Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, or Syracuse, New York office. The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY) serves an area comprised of 32 counties in upstate New York. AUSAs are staffed in Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Syracuse, and appear before federal judges there and in Utica. Approximately 55 attorneys and 51 support personnel work in NDNY, along with several subject-matter specialist contract personnel. Albany is the state capital of New York with a metropolitan area that is home to more than one million people. Located within a three-hour drive of New York City and Boston, the Capital Region offers rich history, extensive cultural opportunities, outstanding schools, and the nearby beauty of the Adirondack Mountains, Lake George, and the Catskills. Binghamton is the principal city and cultural center of the Binghamton metropolitan area which is home to 248,000 people in the Southern Tier of New York. The economy focuses on high-tech firms, healthcare, and education. Syracuse is just over an hour drive away, while New York City is within three hours, and Philadelphia within 4 hours. There are abundant recreational opportunities nearby in the Finger Lakes and along the Susquehanna River. Plattsburgh is situated on the shores of magnificent Lake Champlain. The Lake is a splendid venue for boating, wind surfing, and fishing. Lake Champlain is surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Less than an hour's drive from Plattsburgh, the Lake Placid/High Peaks region, the venue for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, offers skiing, snowmobile/ATV trails, camping, hiking, and backpacking. The Champlain Valley and surrounding areas offer a setting as spectacular and beautiful as any in the Eastern United States. Syracuse is located in Central New York, a region that contains both urban and rural areas, with a population of just under 1.2 million. Syracuse and its surroundings offer abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, close proximity to the Finger Lakes region and Lake Ontario, the academic and cultural resources of numerous colleges and universities, excellent schools, and a rapidly developing high-tech manufacturing sector. Find additional information about the Northern District of New York at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny Job Description The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York seeks experienced attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Civil Division, including in both the defensive civil litigation and Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) units. Applicants should indicate in their cover letter whether they seek consideration for defensive civil litigation, the ACE unit, or both. Civil Division AUSAs serve as lead counsel in federal litigation from investigation through appeal and receive substantial responsibility from the outset. Attorneys manage their own dockets, appear regularly in federal court, collaborate closely with federal agencies and Department of Justice components, and handle matters of significant national and regional importance.

Defensive Civil Litigation:

Attorneys in the defensive civil litigation unit represent the United States, its agencies, and federal employees in a broad range of complex federal litigation matters. These matters include negligence actions under the Federal Tort Claims Act, employment discrimination suits, constitutional tort claims against federal officers, Freedom of Information Act litigation, prisoner litigation, civil immigration matters, and related defensive civil actions. Attorneys may also defend constitutional and administrative challenges to federal statutes, regulations, policies, programs, and agency decisions. Attorneys may also represent the United States in bankruptcy proceedings. Civil AUSAs handling defensive litigation manage all phases of their assigned matters, including factual investigation, discovery, depositions, settlement negotiations, mediation, motion practice, trials, and appeals. AUSAs serve as lead counsel in federal court proceedings and work directly with client agencies and agency counsel throughout the litigation process. Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE): Attorneys in the ACE unit investigate and litigate affirmative civil matters on behalf of the United States, with a particular emphasis on False Claims Act cases involving health care fraud, procurement fraud, grant fraud, and other fraud affecting federal programs. The Office maintains an active and sophisticated False Claims Act practice, including matters initiated through qui tam complaints and investigations conducted jointly with federal law enforcement agencies, inspectors general, and agency partners across the government. In addition to False Claims Act matters, ACE AUSAs handle affirmative litigation involving environmental violations and federal civil rights statutes, including matters involving voting rights and discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or disability. Attorneys may also handle matters involving civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act and other enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice and the Office. ACE AUSAs may also represent the United States in bankruptcy proceedings. ACE matters frequently involve parallel criminal, regulatory, and administrative investigations and require close coordination with agents, auditors, investigators, and attorneys from the Department of Justice and other United States Attorneys' Offices. Attorneys are expected to manage investigations strategically, exercise sound judgment, and litigate independently in federal court. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress. Qualifications

Required:

Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. Applicants must hold United States citizenship.

Preferred:

The ideal candidates will: Have at least 3 years of post-J.D. experience that provided significant opportunity to develop strong legal writing, oral advocacy, and courtroom litigation skills; Demonstrate facility with federal civil practice; Be comfortable with all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation; Collaborate effectively with others, including AUSAs, law enforcement, support staff, and court personnel; Possess impeccable integrity; Be self‑motivated, justice‑oriented, organized, and courteous; and Capable of receiving substantial responsibility from the outset and expect to manage matters independently while maintaining the highest standards of advocacy and public service. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon closing date of this announcement. The staffing of these positions is subject to the availability of funds. Security Requirements Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment 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 Requirement AUSAs must reside in the district to which they are appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. §545 for district-specific information. Benefits The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.