Summary
The United States Attorney's Office Northern District of Alabama is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as an Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney. The Northern District of Alabama encompasses the northern half of Alabama with offices in Birmingham and Huntsville, trying cases in both cities, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston. This position is located in Birmingham, a vibrantly growing metro area with plenty of options for dining, schools, and more. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal
Duties
The Assistant U.S. Attorney hired for this position will be working in the Criminal Section pursuing justice through forfeiture, collection on criminal and civil debts, and pursuing criminal money laundering prosecutions. Specifically, they will pursue civil and criminal forfeiture of property acquired through or used in criminal activity. The effective use of both civil and criminal forfeiture is an essential component of the Department of Justice's efforts to disrupt criminal conduct and dismantle criminal organizations including fraudsters, human traffickers, transnational drug cartels, and cyber criminals. Much of the Office's asset forfeiture caseload is related to prosecution of international narcotics money laundering offenses, and complex fraud, including wire fraud, health care fraud, bank fraud, and cybercrime. The primary goals of the unit are to punish and deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains and to recover assets that may be used to compensate victims when authorized under federal law. The AUSA will lead money laundering investigations, bring appropriate criminal charges, and resolve or try those criminal cases. The AUSA will also serve as a resource to other Criminal Division AUSAs on bringing money laundering charges, conducting financial investigations, and analyzing forfeiture issues. The AUSA will also work within the Financial Litigation Program, which oversees the collection of criminal and civil debts owed to victims of federal crime and to the United States. AUSAs in the Financial Litigation Program conduct asset investigations, pursue garnishments of wages, obtain turnover orders for debtors' assets, and seek to unwind fraudulent transfers of assets. The assigned AUSA will work closely with other AUSAs in the Criminal and Civil Divisions, pre-judgment and post-judgment, to maximize financial recoveries for victims and the government. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. 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.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree
How you will be evaluated
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 retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more). Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.