Employment
Our office employs approximately 105 permanent status employees in a variety of professional, administrative, technical and clerical occupations. The office also employs about six students on temporary appointments. About 48% of the staff are assigned to the main office located in downtown Columbus. There are two division offices located in Cincinnati and Dayton.
Employment for all positions is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation by the Department of Justice. This is a thorough investigation that includes reference checks with current and former employers, military records and credit bureaus. United States citizenship is required.
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.
EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW, THERE WILL BE NO DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE OF COLOR, RACE, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, POLITICS, MARITAL STATUS, DISABILITY, AGE, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, MEMBERSHIP OR NON-MEMBERSHIP IN AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR ON THE BASIS OF PERSONAL FAVORITISM.
Qualified applicants should send their application for the four positions listed at any time to:
Attn:
Human Resources
United States Attorney's Office
303 Marconi Boulevard - Suite 200
Columbus, OH 43215
No telephone inquiries, please.
Assistant US Attorney
Assistant United States Attorneys are some of the finest lawyers in the country. Candidates who meet the high standards of the office are assigned to work in one of three areas: Criminal, Civil, or Appellate.
See the benefits
package. 
Employment for all positions is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation by the Department of Justice. This is a thorough investigation that includes reference checks with current and former employers, military records and credit bureaus. The investigation also includes verification of tax filings and attendance at institutions of higher learning. Final adjudication of security clearances can take from four to six months; therefore, the Department can grant a waiver for most positions, allowing the selectee to enter on duty, while the investigation is being conducted. United States citizenship is required.
Support Staff
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio accepts applications for employment in non-attorney positions as posted by specific job vacancy announcements or public notices. The most common non-attorney positions are Legal Assistants, Paralegal Specialists, and Administrative Support positions.
See the benefits
package.
Employment for all positions is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation by the Department of Justice. This is a thorough investigation that includes reference checks with current and former employers, military records and credit bureaus. Final adjudication of security clearances can take from four to six months; therefore, the Department can grant a waiver for most positions, allowing the selectee to enter on duty, while the investigation is being conducted. United States citizenship is required.
Continue to check our Website for vacancy announcements.
Law Intern
Law clerks in the United States Attorney's Office perform legal research, write legal memoranda and pleadings, help attorneys prepare for trial and attend pre-trial and trial proceedings.
The law clerk can choose to work primarily in either the civil or criminal side of the office. There are also specialized units prosecuting drug crimes and health care fraud. For OSU Law School students the positions are funded through the Federal Work Study Program if the student is eligible. The law clerks are covered by federal worker's compensation, but there are no other benefits.
The work week is flexible. We prefer a commitment for 12 hours per week during the school year with time off for finals. In the summer, the law clerks work full-time from 35 to 40 hours per week. While the intern can choose to work in the civil or criminal divisions or to work for both, the intern will be assigned a mentor to monitor work load and advise the law clerk. There is a coordinator (an Assistant United States Attorney) for the interns as well as administrative personnel who monitor security clearances and computer training. There is a 6 to 8 week lead time to obtain security clearances. These clearances cost the office several thousand dollars for each law clerk. Accordingly, we ask that the student be interviewed by our office, be assured of work-study eligibility or agree to work without pay, be offered a position and accept the position before the clearance process is initiated.
Law students who are interested in employment in the Department of Justice Honors Attorney Program or in any other district should directly contact that office. For further information contact, www.usdoj.gov/oarm/oppls.htm, or:
Office
of Attorney Recruitment and Management
United States Department of Justice
Tenth & Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Room 7254
Washington, D.C. 20530
202.514.3396
Student
The office employs about six students on temporary appointments. For qualifying college students, there are regularly recurring part-time vacancies which are filled on a temporary basis with flexible schedules.