Job Description
Hiring Organization
USAO Southern District of Iowa
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-IAS-12961299-AUSA
Location: 210 Walnut St Suite 455
Des Moines, IA 50309 - United States
Application Deadline: Friday, April 30, 2027
About the Office
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa employs approximately 30 Assistant United States Attorneys. The District's headquarters office is located in Des Moines. There are staffed branch offices in Davenport and Council Bluffs, which serve the District's eastern and western divisions.
More information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa can be found at:
Job Description
Assistant United States Attorneys in the Southern District of Iowa handle a wide variety of complex cases involving representation of the United States in all phases of pretrial, trial and appellate matters concerning civil litigation, including defensive matters involving the Federal Tort Claims Act, employment discrimination statutes, commercial litigation, and affirmative matters involving fraud, debt collection, real estate foreclosures, and bankruptcy, as well as representing federal agencies on appeals of administrative determinations. This vacancy is for two general litigation positions in the Civil Division in Des Moines.
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
Qualifications
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least three-years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. At least three years of post-J.D. litigation experience is preferred, with extensive research and writing experience.
Preferred qualifications: Possess superior oral and written communication skills as well as strong interpersonal skills, exhibit good judgment, function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment, and a demonstrated record of integrity. Interested AUSAs or government attorneys must have at least a successful evaluation for the past year. All applicants must be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction) and not have received any disciplinary action within the past three years from the date of the application. In addition, applicants must exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client agencies, and the ability to lead, motivate, mentor, and evaluate other highly qualified attorneys.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate by experience, knowledge, or training, that they have an understanding of basic leadership and managerial skills. Ideal qualifications include at least three years of litigation experience in the role of lead counsel, with experience arguing motions and conducting federal jury trials, as well as prior experience supervising other litigation attorneys. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
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.
Must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Appointment type: Permanent.
Internet Sites: More information about the Southern District of Iowa may be found at: This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at:
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.
Application Process
Please apply to the USAJobs advertisement here: You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Required - Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
Required - Your resume showing relevant experience and dates of employment (include day/month/year).
Required, if applicable - To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.
Encouraged - A writing sample (5-10 pages).
Encouraged - Cover Letter.
The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is Southern District of Iowa who can be reached at (515) 473-9300 or david.harris2@usdoj.gov@usdoj.gov
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Salary
Salary Information: Assistant United States Attorney's pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorey experience. The range of basic pay is $77,731 to $197,100 includes locality pay.
Job Tags
Permanent employment, Full time, Work at office