Categories: Legal

Guide to a Career as a U.S. Marshal

The U.S. Marshal office is a government agency charged with the job of protecting the U.S. judicial system. From witness protection to extradition hearings, the U.S. Marshals are responsible for maintaining the integrity and the effectiveness of U.S. courts and trials. They are not investigators, such as the FBI, but they are responsible for a certain amount of investigation when it comes to fugitives.

In order to become a Deputy U.S. Marshal, you must have a bachelor’s degree and be between twenty-one and thirty-six years of age. There are two phases to the U.S. Marshal interview process; the first is a written exam and the second is an interview. All U.S. Marshals are U.S. citizens in excellent physical condition with clean driving records, clean background checks and the required education.

Once you have been invited to begin a career as a U.S. Marshal, you will be shipped off to Glynco, GA for a ten-week training program at the U.S. Marshal’s Service Training Academy.

Most U.S. Marshals begin their career at the GS-5 level, which pays between $27,000 and $34,000 per year. If you have advanced education or superior experience, you can qualify to enter the U.S. Marshals as a GS-7, which pays up to $39,000. U.S. Marshals can be promoted to the GS-9 level after one year of service and the GS-11 level after three years.

Most of the work undertaken by people who pursue careers as U.S. Marshals involves protecting courts on the federal and state levels. Some of the most exciting work involves high profile cases in which witness and jury tampering are expected. U.S. Marshals also handle witness protection, which safeguards people who testify against violent criminals.

U.S. Marshals work all over the country – in both large and small towns – and are often required to travel. The U.S. Marshals are responsible for protecting more than 2,000 judges across the nation and are charged with investigating threats against judiciary, including judges, prosecutors and other court officials.

Technology experts who pursue a career with the U.S. Marshals are often involved in designing and implementing complex security systems for courthouses all over the U.S. They are also responsible for setting up technological gadgetry to investigate matters of judiciary danger.

The U.S. Marshals are also responsible for serving federal court process and for making sure that orders of the court are carried out in the proper fashion. They assist in the transportation of prisoners from prisons and jail houses to the courts for trial and for transporting prisoners from prison to prison. This can include airline, bus, car or boat travel and is handled by the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS), partnered with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

If you are hoping to pursue a career with the U.S. Marshals, your best bet is to go to school. Get a degree in criminal justice, accounting, computers, technology or another related field and then apply for a position as a Deputy Marshal.