Assistant United States Attorney (Appellate)

Summary

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma is seeking experienced, motivated attorneys to join our Criminal Division. This announcement is used to fill immediate vacancies with multiple cut-off dates, and may be used to fill other permanent appointments and vacancies. This announcement is open thru Wednesday Dec 16, 2026. First cutoff Tuesday Sept 22, 2026, and as needed until positions are filled or cutoff date is met. This position is located in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Duties

• The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (USAOKE) is seeking an experienced, motivated, and prosecution-minded attorney to join the Appellate team in our Criminal Division. This United States Attorney's Office serves as the chief federal law enforcement office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and is accountable to the citizens of the Eastern District for pursuing justice, ensuring public safety, enforcing the law, protecting the interests of the United States, and exercising stewardship of the government's resources. The Eastern District is comprised of 26 counties in eastern and southern Oklahoma, ranging from southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Texas border and from the Arkansas border to Carter County on the west. The headquarters of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole) are located in the District. Due to the 2020 Supreme Court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma and its progeny, the entire Eastern District of Oklahoma is Indian Country and the USAOKE has jurisdiction to prosecute major crimes committed by or against members of a federally recognized Indian tribe. Appellate Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) litigate appeals and post-conviction matters in all criminal cases prosecuted in the office, including cases involving organized crime and gangs; public corruption; sophisticated white collar crime; violent crime; major drug offenses; child exploitation; criminal immigration offenses; and violent crime occurring within Indian Country. Appellate AUSAs draft appellate briefs and responses to post-conviction motions, argue appeals in the Tenth Circuit; consult with and advise Criminal Division AUSAs on issues arising in the pretrial and trial phases; review and edit documents drafted by others; assist in preparing other AUSAs for oral argument; research legal issues; and prepare appeal recommendations from adverse district court decisions for review by the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. 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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1* year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience. United States citizenship is required. Preferred Qualifications: Ideal candidates will have 3 or more years of post-J.D. experience, including criminal prosecution experience and appellate clerkship, outstanding academic record, and prior AUSA experience are preferred but not required. Candidates should be able to demonstrate proficiency and excellence in drafting briefs, researching and analyzing complex legal issues, and arguing cases in trial and appellate courts. Ideal candidates will also have strong background in issues commonly arising in federal criminal cases and collateral proceedings, to include constitutional challenges arising under the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendments: 28 U.S.C. § 2255; applicable rules of evidence and criminal procedure; discovery and disclosure doctrine; sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines; and U.S. Supreme Court and Tenth Circuit precedent in these areas. Appellate AUSAs are expected to have superior organizational and public presentation abilities, to be motivated by a strong commitment to public service, and to contribute to the training and professional development of other AUSAs. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree

Required documents

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 cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job: Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade), Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. - 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. Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs. 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. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.