Hiring Organization

USAO District of South Dakota

Hiring Office

Rapid City, SD

Application Deadline:

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

About the Office 

The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota, is seeking an exceptional, motivated prosecuting attorney to join our Criminal Division in Rapid City, SD.

In all matters, our mission is to represent the people of the United States in a manner that instills confidence in the fairness and integrity of our office and the judicial system, and to conduct our work with the highest integrity.

More information about the U.S. Attorney's Office, SD can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/.

Job Description 

As a Criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, attorneys are responsible for prosecuting a variety of violations of federal law including, but not limited to, drug trafficking and smuggling; child exploitation; gang activity and violence; illegal immigration; firearms offenses; national security and border security, and cybercrime. Work includes partnering with law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes, research and brief legal issues, representing the United States before the United States District Court, hearings, trials, and appeals, and presenting criminal cases to a grand jury. Candidates should also be capable of litigating criminal prosecutions involving Major Crimes Act violations in Indian Country including murder, child sex abuse, rape and other violent crimes.

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

Initial appointments are conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment background adjudication including 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 on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/vacancies.

Qualifications

• Applicant must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprints, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• Applicant must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• Applicant must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one year of post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
• Applicant must be a member, or be eligible to become a member, of the federal district court bar.

                   Note: The U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota requires that all Assistant U.S. Attorneys be                    admitted to the State Bar of South Dakota within 12 months from the date of an attorney’s oath of office                     for the position in South Dakota. See Local Rule (Criminal) 44.1(F)(1)(b). Accordingly, if the successful                       candidate is not a member of the South Dakota Bar, he/she must become a member within one year                           from entry on duty.

• Applicant must reside in the district to which he/she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See U.S.C. § 545 for district specific information.
• Applicant must be capable of traveling on occasion.

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

Preferred Qualifications 

Hiring for Assistant U.S. Attorney positions is highly competitive. The USAO seeks a diverse complement of lawyers with a wide range of exceptional skills and experience, unified by keen intelligence and sincere commitment to public interest. Litigation experience, superior academic record, excellent writing skills, impeccable character, demonstrated interest in public service, courtroom presence, and the ability to work with and relate to a wide variety of people are all taken into account. Most attorneys hired have several years of experience, although highly qualified recent graduates with some experience in practice or as a judicial clerk will also be considered. 

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

Application Process

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/12/2025 to receive consideration. Please use the link below to get started: 

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/849121000

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 the applicant’s responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to 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 District of South Dakota via email at KAILENE.FREY@USDOJ.GOV, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying. 

The Point of Contact for this vacancy announcement is District of South Dakota who can be reached at KAILENE.FREY@USDOJ.GOV

Salary

Assistant United States Attorneys pay is administratively determined based, in part, on the number of years of professional experience. The range of starting pay, including a 17.06% locality payment, is $73,939 to $193,394.

Number of Positions

1

Travel

Occasional travel to court at designated sites within and outside the District of South Dakota.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.