Assistant United States Attorney

An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal government of the United States in civil and appellate litigation and in federal criminal prosecutions. Assistant U.S. attorneys working in their office's criminal section are often called federal prosecutors. Federal prosecutors are rarely hired directly out of law school as it's not considered an entry-level position. Federal prosecutors often have significant trial experience from state courts before entering the U.S. Attorneys Office. Personnel and duties AUSAs are career civil servants. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice employed approximately 5,800 AUSAs. As of 2022, there were approximately 6,300 AUSAs. The various U.S. Attorney's Offices vary significant in size, and in number of AUSAs employed. For example, approximately 280 AUSAs work at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, which covers the Los Angeles area (the largest DOJ office outside Washington). By contrast, approximately 62 AUSA work at the U.S. Attorney's Office for South Carolina. Some AUSAs are criminal prosecutors, while others represent the U.S. government in civil litigation.