Assistant United States Attorney - Criminal

Hiring Organization

USAO Northern District of New York

Hiring Office

Criminal Division

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

26-NYN-12990484-AUSA

Location:

Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, or Syracuse, NY - United States

Application Deadline:

Sunday, July 12, 2026

About the Office

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY) is seeking Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to work in the Criminal Division in its Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, or Syracuse, New York office.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY) serves an area comprised of 32 counties in upstate New York. AUSAs are staffed in Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, and Syracuse, and appear before federal judges there and in Utica. Approximately 55 attorneys and 51 support personnel work in NDNY, along with several subject-matter specialist contract personnel.

Albany is the state capital of New York with a metropolitan area that is home to more than one million people. Located within a three-hour drive of New York City and Boston, the Capital Region offers rich history, extensive cultural opportunities, outstanding schools, and the nearby beauty of the Adirondack Mountains, Lake George, and the Catskills.

Binghamton is the principal city and cultural center of the Binghamton metropolitan area which is home to 248,000 people in the Southern Tier of New York. The economy focuses on high-tech firms, healthcare, and education. Syracuse is just over an hour drive away, while New York City is within three hours, and Philadelphia within 4 hours. There are abundant recreational opportunities nearby in the Finger Lakes and along the Susquehanna River.

Plattsburgh is situated on the shores of magnificent Lake Champlain. The Lake is a splendid venue for boating, wind surfing, and fishing. Lake Champlain is surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Less than an hour's drive from Plattsburgh, the Lake Placid/High Peaks region, the venue for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, offers skiing, snowmobile/ATV trails, camping, hiking, and backpacking. The Champlain Valley and surrounding areas offer a setting as spectacular and beautiful as any in the Eastern United States.

Syracuse is located in Central New York, a region that contains both urban and rural areas, with a population of just under 1.2 million. Syracuse and its surroundings offer abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, close proximity to the Finger Lakes region and Lake Ontario, the academic and cultural resources of numerous colleges and universities, excellent schools, and a rapidly developing high-tech manufacturing sector.

Find additional information about the Northern District of New York at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny

Job Description

These AUSA positions are in NDNY’s Criminal Division, which is comprised of approximately 39 attorneys who are responsible for prosecuting federal crimes, including offenses involving: drug trafficking and smuggling; child exploitation; gang activity and violence; illegal immigration; national and border security; and fraudulent and/or corrupt conduct in government, health care, banking, securities and corporate activity, federal procurement, bankruptcies, and federal taxation.

More specifically, the selected AUSAs for these positions will focus on criminal casework involving immigration, violent crime, drug smuggling, public corruption, white collar crime, and the opioid epidemic.

The selected AUSAs will work with law enforcement agencies to investigate such crimes, research and brief legal issues, and represent the United States before grand juries and in hearings, trials, and appeals.

Day-to-day responsibilities may include working with law enforcement agencies and others to investigate such matters, researching legal issues, drafting motions or motion responses, drafting search warrants, appearing before grand juries, and other litigation related duties.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress.

Qualifications

Required:

Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience.

Applicants must hold United States citizenship.

Preferred:

The ideal candidates will:

Have at least 3 years of post-J.D. experience that provided significant opportunity to develop strong legal writing, oral advocacy, and courtroom litigation skills;

Demonstrate facility with federal criminal practice;

Be comfortable with all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation;

Collaborate effectively with others, including AUSAs, law enforcement, support staff, and court personnel;

Possess impeccable integrity; and

Be self‑motivated, justice‑oriented, organized, and courteous.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon closing date of this announcement.

The staffing of these positions is subject to the availability of funds.

Security Requirements

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 Requirement

AUSAs must reside in the district to which they are appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. §545 for district-specific information.

Benefits

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits .

Application Process

To apply, applications must be submitted online through USAJOBS, which may be accessed via the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/873692000

Please reference the "Required Documents" section of the USAJOBS vacancy for information regarding the specific documents and the format in which they must be submitted to complete your application.

Evaluation Process

Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. After the application period closes, the NDNY leadership team will review all qualified applicants to make determinations on who they will interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview. Our hiring process will involve in-person interviews.

If you have questions regarding this process, you may contact Maria Farrell, Human Resources Officer at 315-448-0963 or maria.farrell@usdoj.gov.

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.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of profes…