Our Successes

For more than five years , NAAUSA insisted that AUSAs were underpaid by as much as $30,000 a year compared to their counterparts at Main Justice . Finally, in March 2016, EOUSA announced pay increases, of almost $10,000 is some cases, in the Administratively Determined pay system . However, attorneys at Main Justice are still paid much more than AUSAs with the same experience - NAAUSA's work is not done yet.

No other organization aggressively defends the professionalism of AUSAs against the defense bar and unfair disciplinary actions by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). NAAUSA filed an extensive amicus brief with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) urging MSPB to reverse the Department of Justice (DOJ) suspensions of the two AUSAs the Department blamed for errors associated with the dismissal of the government's conviction of the late Senator Ted Stevens. The MSPB reversed the suspensions .

AUSAs would not be reimbursed for half the cost of professional liability insurance (a benefit that exceeds NAAUSA dues) if NAAUSA had not successfully lobbied Congress in 1999 to include AUSAs in the legislation, P.L. 106-58, which authorized federal agencies to pay half the cost of professional liability insurance.

AUSAs and all other DOJ attorneys would not be entitled to comp time for off-duty official travel if NAAUSA had not questioned the rationale for a February 2005 DOJ decision to deny DOJ attorneys comp time. NAAUSA secured congressional reversal of DOJ's decision to deny comp time to attorneys in legislation signed by President Bush, P.L. 109-425, on December 20, 2006.

Congress would not have included provisions addressing AUSA security in the Court Security legislation , P.L. 110-177, if NAAUSA had not raised the issue of security for AUSAs and their families . The law provided additional funds to the U.S.. Marshalls for the security of United States Attorney Offices (USAOs.)

The budgets for the USAOs would have been smaller if NAAUSA had not highlighted the extensive budget problems in the USAOs. NAAUSA's lobbying resulted in a special Senate hearing which increased Congressional concern over the impact of the budget and personnel shortages and resulted in increased funding for USAOs from FY 2009 toY 2014.

NAAUSA asked for and secured a change to EOUSA policy to allow United States Attorneys to spend up to $3000 from existing funds to support fitness facilities that are maintained by other agencies.

NAAUSA worked with law enforcement groups and others in opposition to Congressional proposals that would eviscerate mandatory minimum penalties and undermine the important tools AUSAs use to pursue drug trafficking. Accord ing to Senator Grassley , NAAUSA's work help defeat the legislation in 2014.

NAAUSA worked closely with DOJ to defeat legislation to transfer the responsibility for investigating allegations of misconduct against AUSAs from OPR to the DOJ Inspector General.