[blindlaw] U.S. Atty posting, Oakland California, uncompensated

[Ross Doerr]

Has anyone out there ever worked at one of these uncompensated jobs for the
U.S. Atty's office?
Reading down through the posting below, I'm wondering if posting these
uncompensated openings is realistic for visually impaired applicants. I
visualize  trying to explain to a representative of the SSA that you are a
full time employee of the USA office and that you will be working there for
one year for free, then won't be eligible to work for them for two years
afterwards...
Who can afford to work for free for a year?
Are these jobs for the "well-off"  who do this sort of thing to get
connections? 
***
SPECIAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
(Serves Without Compensation)
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA – OAKLAND BRANCH
Vacancy Announcement No. 12-NDCA-07-ES 
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About the Office: The Northern District of California is one of the largest
U.S. Attorney's Offices in the country with 111 attorneys located in three
staffed offices: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The Office prosecutes
federal crimes and defends and pursues the interests of the United States in
civil cases. The office is responsible for representing the federal
government in virtually all litigation involving violations of federal law,
civil lawsuits against the government, and actions to collect judgments and
restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. 
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: An appointment with the U.S.
Attorney's Office offers unique and challenging experiences for the highly
motivated attorney. Working in the Criminal Division, Oakland Branch, the
Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) will be part of a dedicated
team helping to enforce Federal criminal laws. The SAUSA will have an
opportunity to maintain an individual caseload, responsible for handling a
full compliment of matters from initial investigation through final
disposition. The SAUSA will receive substantial training in investigating
and prosecuting federal crimes, and will have the opportunity to attend
conferences with SAUSAs and Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) from
districts across the country.
Qualifications:
Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and be an
active member of the bar (any jurisdiction).
Preferred qualifications: Preferred applicants will possess superior oral
and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills; and the
capacity to function in a highly demanding environment with minimal
guidance. Additionally, it is desired that the successful candidate have
strong academic credentials and at least two years of post-J.D. experience. 
Travel: Travel may be required between Branch Offices, Headquarters and
other U.S. Attorney's Offices for training, conferences, and work-related
responsibilities. 
Type of Position: This position is temporary, not-to-exceed one year. It may
be extended without further competition. The selected uncompensated SAUSA
cannot be considered by this office for a permanent AUSA position with the
Northern District of California for two years after the expiration of this
SAUSA's one-year appointment. 
Salary Information: None - this is an uncompensated position.
Note: Employees of the Department of Justice, including uncompensated
Special Assistant United States Attorneys, may not engage in the compensated
practice of law outside the office. Attorneys are not eligible to serve as
Special Assistant United States Attorneys if they have had an employment
offer deferred by a law firm and received a payment for the period of their
deferral with the expectation of future employment with the law firm, or if
they will receive any payment from a law firm during their unpaid employment
with the Department of Justice. In addition, contractors, including
employees of contractors who do business with the Department of Justice, and
who also are attorneys, are not eligible to serve as uncompensated Special
Assistant United States Attorneys.

Location: Oakland, California.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Application Process and Deadline Date: Please send your cover letter and
resume to: 

Maureen Bessette
Chief, Oakland Branch 
1301 Clay Street, Suite 340S
Oakland, CA 94612

Please include the announcement number 12-NDCA-07-ES and title of the
position (above) in your resume or cover letter. References and additional
information may be requested after review and consideration of the submitted
applications. 

No telephone calls, faxes, or e-mails please. Applications must be received
by Friday, August 24, 2012.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a
satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint and
credit checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is
subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Internet Sites: Other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at:
http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html

Department Policies: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside
in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof.
See 28 U.S.C. §545 for district-specific information.

The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable
Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will
be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin,
political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age,
sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a
parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the
basis of personal favoritism, or any non merit factor. The Department of
Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and
mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its
affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that
persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on
the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. This agency provides
reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and
hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for
reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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. Employment is also
contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background
investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the
Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys'
Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement,
non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but
should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare;
such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the
Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements.
Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be
considered on a case-by-case basis. 

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to
attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of
Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in
attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include
that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting
documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from
Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions.
Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to
claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF)15, Application for
10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation
required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website,
for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the
required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires
supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or
receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or
later except in the case of service members submitting official statements
or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or
her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that
he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the
statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or
more).