General Attorney (District Court Litigation Division)

Summary

Join the fast-paced federal litigation practitioners of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor’s (OPLA) District Court Litigation Division (DCLD) and leverage your legal experience to protect the homeland. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Duties

• OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide.
• OPLA provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices and serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
• Selected attorneys will primarily serve as DHS's agency counsel by representing agency interests in civil litigation and through the adjudication of administrative tort claims.
• DCLD attorneys work closely with the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ), other DHS component legal offices, and U.S.
• Department of Justice (DOJ) entities, such as Civil Division, including the Office of Immigration Litigation, Torts Branch, as well as U.S.
• Attorney's Offices throughout the nation.
• DCLD attorneys: Manage federal civil litigation against ICE and cases that otherwise impact ICE equities; Assist ICE personnel, OGC HQ, and DOJ in all aspects of federal civil litigation, including: the development of legal strategy and arguments, motion
• Practice, discovery, settlement negotiations, trials, and appeals in cases ranging from common-law torts suits, lawsuits under and Bivens v.
• Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed.
• Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), and suits seeking injunctive or declaratory relief under the
• Constitution, including class actions; Adjudicate administrative claims for personal injuries and property damage pursuant to the
• Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680; Provide oral and written guidance to ICE leadership and employees and conduct training, regarding litigation risks; and
• Represent ICE's interests in litigation-related discussions with other agencies and DHS components.
• OPLA will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations when appropriate.
• If reasonable accommodation is required for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.

Education

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree. Please see Required Documents for more information. A student loan repayment incentive may be available; if such an incentive is available and is authorized, a service agreement will be required.

Required Documents

• You must include all required documentation, as set forth below, with your application package before the closing date.
• No extensions will be granted.
• Failure to provide all of the required information as listed in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect your overall rating.
• Letter: Your cover letter must discuss your interest in the position; your pertinent knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience; and your personal characteristics and competencies that qualify you for the position as detailed in the
• Qualifications sections of this announcement.
• Your cover letter must also include your full name; home address; home or work e-mail address(es); phone number(s) where we may contact you (cell, work, and/or home); name of law school, year of graduation, and year admitted to the bar.
• Résumé: Your resume must include your complete contact information (physical address, phone number, email address), work experience and education.
• For each work experience listed, please include job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, and starting and ending dates (MM/YY).
• Please indicate whether we may contact your current supervisor.
• USAJOBS restricts resume submissions to two pages.
• Be sure your resume meets this requirement before applying.
• Standing: Submit a copy of your bar card, certificate of good standing, or other documentary evidence to prove that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, a U.S. a territory of the
• Columbia, or the
• If you are a current or former federal employee: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of
• Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
• If you are a current or former political
• Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information about your most recent political appointment: Position title, type of appointment (Schedule A,
• Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), agency and beginning and ending dates of appointment.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable): You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility.
• The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable.
• If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point
• Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the
• Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.
• This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
• View more veterans' information.
• You may be asked to provide a law school transcripts, writing sample, and/or a copy of your recent performance appraisal.