Assistant United States Attorney (Criminal)

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maine has a position available for an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in our Criminal Division. The District of Maine encompasses the entire state, which has a population of over 1.3 million. This vacancy is in our headquarters office, located in Portland. Maine's largest city is a vibrant, livable community located on gorgeous Casco Bay. For additional information regarding our office, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar (any jurisdiction). Applicants must have a minimum of three years of post-J.D. experience and demonstrated excellence in trial advocacy and legal writing.

Preferred Qualifications:
Hiring for AUSA positions is highly competitive. Our ideal candidate will have:

• At least five years of experience prosecuting federal crimes;
• Demonstrated ability to handle complex cases from the initial investigative stage through trial;
• Strong academic credentials and superior legal research and writing skills;
• Significant criminal trial experience and excellent courtroom skills;
• Incisive analytical ability and an aptitude for accurately and precisely articulating the critical issues in a case;
• A demonstrated commitment to professionalism, ethics, civility and public service;
• Impeccable integrity;
• Outstanding organizational, time management and interpersonal skills;
• The ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client agencies;
• Excellent computer literacy skills and the ability to handle all aspects of electronic discovery and litigation; and
• A strong desire to practice in Maine.

­Conflicts of Interest. Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with Rule 1.7 of the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct (regarding conflicts of interest) in connection with any matters in which the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine is involved. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you currently are representing clients or adjudicating matters in which the U.S. Attorney's Office is involved and/or whether you have family members who are representing clients or adjudicating matters in which the U.S. Attorney's Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be resolved under those circumstances.

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

Responsibilities:

The Office has one opening for an experienced litigator to serve as an AUSA in the Criminal Division in our Portland office. First round consideration will be given to applications submitted by February 26, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. Thereafter, the applicant list will be reviewed every 30 days. As needed, additional positions may be filled.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Maine, with offices in Bangor and Portland, prosecutes all criminal and civil cases brought by the federal government and defends the United States in civil cases in Maine. The position of an AUSA provides one with the responsibility and the authority to improve the lives of Americans who live in Maine and across the United States. Working as a federal prosecutor sworn to pursue justice in the name of the United States is deeply satisfying. Many lawyers look back on their days as an AUSA as among the most rewarding of their professional careers. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html. To learn more about the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maine, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-me.

The office has one opening for an experienced prosecutor to serve as an AUSA in the Criminal Division in our Portland office. Criminal AUSAs in the District of Maine improve the quality of life for all Maine residents by prosecuting violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, immigration offenses, human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud and other white-collar offenses, firearms offenses, civil rights offenses, terrorism, political corruption and an array of other federal criminal laws.

The selected AUSA will work with law enforcement agents and others to investigate federal criminal offenses, research and brief legal issues, and represent the United States before grand juries and in hearings and trials. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as training and experience progress. All initial attorney positions to the Department of Justice are subject to favorable adjudication of background check parameters and certified completion of a probationary/trial period. This position may be extended or made permanent without further competition.

Salary : $93,392