Overview
Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal) Jobs in Columbia, SC at U.S. Department of Justice
Hiring Organization
USAO District of South Carolina
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
26-SC-13034459-AUSA
Location:
1441 Main Street
Suite 500
Columbia, SC 29201 – United States
Application Deadline:
Monday, August 31, 2026
About the Office
If you are looking for an exciting an challenging career, this is the position for you! With a talented workforce of over 100,000 people. The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, keep our county safe, and protect civil rights. You will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty, and the property of citizens.
The applicant selected for this position will serve with a distinguished staff comprised of approximately 48 attorneys and 47 support staff in representing the interests of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. The main office is located in Columbia, SC, with branches also located in Florence, Greenville, and Charleston. Each of these cities, along with the entire State of South Carolina, are steeped with history and offers a wonderful climate along with a wide variety of cultural, educational, recreational, and social activities.
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.
For more information about the District of South Carolina, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc
Job Description
The Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in South Carolina provides a fulfilling and supportive work environment. The Criminal Assistant United States Attorneys(AUSAs) enjoy genuine camaraderie with their colleagues while pursuing rewarding careers, both professionally and personally.
The Criminal Division is comprised of three Sections – the White Collar, Human Trafficking, and Child Exploitation Section; the Major Crimes Section; and the Narcotics and Organized Crimes Section. In the office’s White Collar, Human Trafficking, and Child Exploitation Section, prosecutors handle a wide variety of cases, including financial fraud, healthcare fraud, public corruption, human trafficking, and child exploitation investigations and prosecutions. In the Major Crimes Section, prosecutors handle a variety of matters including violent crime and firearms offenses, as well as immigration offenses. In the Narcotics and Organized Crime Section, prosecutors handle investigations and prosecutions of criminal organizations, including gang prosecutions and narcotics trafficking. Prosecutors in this Section also focus on cases from the Homeland Security Task Force, a multi-agency effort led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FBI, and HSI to combat transnational criminal organizations. In prosecuting federal crimes, AUSAs work with a broad range of federal agencies, including; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Secret Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Agency; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service; Postal Inspection Service; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and others.
Due to the range and complexity of the work, Criminal AUSAs are expected to demonstrate initiative and ability sufficient to independently manage all phases of a criminal case, from investigation to post-conviction litigation. Our AUSAs are required to possess interpersonal skills conducive to working with a variety of federal and state law enforcement agents, defense attorneys, judges, and court staff; oral and written communication skills for presenting cases to the grand jury, representing the government in court hearings, trying cases, writing trial and appellate briefs; and superior character and judgment in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion and the discharge of their duties.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
United States citizenship is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
Preferred candidates will have a strong academic background and excellent research and writing skills. In addition, preferred candidates will possess a strong work ethic, exhibit good organizational skills, exercise fair and sound judgment, be attentive to facts and details, work well both independently and on a team, have leadership skills, be ready and willing to volunteer to assist other AUSAs, possess excellent negotiation skills, and effectively represent the Government’s interests at hearings and trials before the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Preferred candidates will also have criminal trial experience (federal or state) or commensurate civil trial experience. Particular knowledge, skills, or training involving civil rights, accounting, banking, tax compliance, or financial investigations is not required but also preferred.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Application Process
Please apply directly at USAjobs.gov: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/880809300
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 August 31, 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 Brienna Lykes at 803-929-3058 or email at [email protected], prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.
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: Writing Sample. Submit a brief filed in a federal or state case that you have, in whole or significant part, drafted.
– Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages – you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages
- 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.
Please see the Required Documents section in USA Jobs for more information.
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.
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
Assistant United States Attorney’s pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional attorney experience. The range of basic pay is $76,748 to $197,100 which includes 17.06% locality pay.
Title: Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal)
Company: U.S. Department of Justice
Location: Columbia, SC
Category:
