SummaryThe United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania has staff in three offices: Harrisburg, Scranton, and Williamsport, and maintains an unstaffed office in Wilkes-Barre.
DutiesHelp
The Civil Chief is a Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney who leads the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The Civil Chief reports to the United States Attorney and the First Assistant United States Attorney and is responsible for the overall management, supervision, and strategic direction of the Division's affirmative and defensive civil litigation on behalf of the United States.
The Civil Division represents the United States, its agencies, officers, and employees in a broad range of civil matters in federal district court, bankruptcy court, and on appeal. Work includes both defensive litigation and affirmative civil enforcement.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities- Supervise and manage all Civil Division attorneys (AUSAs and Special AUSAs) and support staff.
- Assign cases and matters, set priorities, monitor case progress and quality, and ensure timely and effective resolution of litigation.
- Personally handle a caseload of complex or significant civil matters, including trials, motions practice, and appeals.
- Provide leadership, mentoring, performance evaluation, and professional development for attorneys and staff.
- Oversee both major practice areas:
- Defensive litigation: Federal Tort Claims Act (including medical malpractice), employment discrimination (Title VII and related), Bivens actions, Administrative Procedure Act challenges, immigration-related litigation, FOIA/Privacy Act cases, constitutional challenges, prisoner litigation, and other suits against the United States or federal employees.
- Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE): False Claims Act (including qui tam/whistleblower actions), healthcare fraud, procurement/grant fraud, civil rights enforcement, Controlled Substances Act civil violations, and other affirmative recovery actions.
- Supervise related functions such as bankruptcy proceedings, financial litigation/debt collection, social security, and (in many districts) asset forfeiture or civil monetary penalties.
- Coordinate closely with client federal agencies, Department of Justice Civil Division components (Main Justice), Inspectors General, and other U.S. Attorney's Offices.
- Develop and implement office priorities and policies for civil litigation consistent with Department of Justice guidance.
- Review settlement recommendations within delegated authority.
- Represent the Division in internal leadership meetings and external interactions with the court, bar, and agency partners.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
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.
RequirementsHelp
Conditions of employment- 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.
- All Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney appointments are temporary, at-will positions. This position may be extended, or made permanent as an Assistant United States Attorney, without further advertising.
- Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
QualificationsRequired Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:The ideal candidate will have superior academic records, strong analytical abilities and judgment, excellent oral advocacy and writing skills. Successful candidates must demonstrate an ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, client agencies, opposing counsel, and court staff. Because most of the civil practice in the U.S. Attorney's Office involves pretrial litigation, applicants must possess superior research and writing abilities and must be able to prepare high-quality and persuasive pleadings. Applicants should have strong interpersonal skills and demonstrate the capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
EducationApplicants must possess a J.D. Degree
Additional informationSalary 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 $154,169 to $197,100 and includes locality pay for the applicable location.
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: Travel will be required, primarily within the Middle District of Pennsylvania (33-county area) with occasional trips to other districts, as well as to the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina for training and conferences.
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.
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.
BenefitsHelp
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.
