Department of Justice

Assistant United States Attorney (Asset Forfeiture)

San Francisco, California Full time

Assistant United States Attorney (Asset Forfeiture)

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): San Francisco, California

Salary Range: $103085 - $197100 Per Year

Job Summary: Employment with the U.S. Attorney's Office is a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated attorney. It is an opportunity to litigate a broad range of cases involving significant, complex issues on behalf of the United States in federal. Working in the Criminal Division, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal laws that protect life, liberty, and property.

Major Duties:

  • The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Northern District of California is seeking one or more experienced attorneys to serve as Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) in the Office's Criminal Division, in one of the largest and most prolific USAOs in the nation. These positions are located in San Francisco and will be for the Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation Program. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Asset Forfeiture Section of the Criminal Division, attorneys will be responsible for prosecuting federal crimes, including offenses involving cybercrime; complex fraud and/or corruption in government, health care, banking, securities, corporate activities, federal procurement, drug trafficking and smuggling; elder abuse; national security and border security; and money laundering. They will also work with law enforcement agencies to investigate such crimes, research and brief legal issues, and represent the United States in hearings, trials, and appeals. Day-to-day responsibilities include working with law enforcement agencies and others to investigate allegations of criminal conduct, coordinating with other sections in the Criminal Division, researching legal issues, drafting motions or motion responses, drafting search warrants, appearing before grand juries and in Court, and other litigation related duties. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Financial Litigation Program (FLP) of the Criminal Division, attorneys will be responsible for enforcing and collecting criminal monetary penalties, including restitution, fines, and special assessments, following conviction and sentencing. The FLP focuses on post-judgment enforcement to ensure that victims receive court-ordered compensation. Attorneys will work closely with criminal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to identify, restrain, and recover assets through financial investigations, civil discovery tools, garnishments, liens, and other enforcement mechanisms. They will also represent the United States in contested enforcement proceedings in federal court. Day-to-day responsibilities include conducting financial investigations to identify assets available to satisfy restitution orders; coordinating with criminal case teams and investigative agencies; researching and briefing legal issues related to enforcement of judgments; drafting and litigating writs of garnishment, writs of execution, liens, and other post-judgment remedies; negotiating payment agreements; conducting depositions and other civil discovery; appearing in Court for hearings on enforcement matters; and performing other litigation-related duties. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as an attorney's training and experience progress. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, so kindly submit your materials as soon as possible.

Qualifications: Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member in good standing of the bar (in any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least three (3) years of experience as a licensed attorney (or post-law school graduation judicial clerkships) preparing for, participating in, and/or reviewing formal hearings or trials involving litigation at the federal, state, or local court level. If you currently represent an opposing party in litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"), please refer to Rule 3-310 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct: If you currently represent an opposing party in litigation with the DOJ or represent a client under investigation by the United States, please refer to Rule 1-7 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct and / or the relevant conflict of interest Rules of Professional Conduct in the jurisdiction in which you are licensed to practice. The U.S. Attorney's Office considers California Rule 1-7 to be implicated when an attorney licensed in California applies for a position with the U.S. Attorney's office while also representing a client in litigation opposing the U.S. or knowingly under investigation by the U.S. If you are a current employee of the DOJ who is under a term of commitment to another office, please include this information in your cover letter along with a statement of whether you have discussed your application with your current employer. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Hiring preferences include strong academics, outstanding organizational skills, superior legal writing and research ability, demonstrated analytical ability, good judgment and courtroom skills, and a commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility and public service. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Initial Appointment: 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 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. Suitability and Citizenship: 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. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is 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. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/29/2026 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.) 3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact Wilson Li at Wilson.Li@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-29