General Attorney

Summary

Organizational Location: This announcement will be used to fill multiple vacancies with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) located throughout the Southwest Border Region. The salary range listed is the General Schedule (GS) base rate. Click here to access the GS locality pay tables.

Duties

• OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 2,600 attorneys nationwide.
• In addition to Headquarters in Washington, D.C., there are 143 offices located within nine Regions throughout the United States.
• Pursuant to statute, OPLA serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review litigating cases involving criminal aliens, terrorists, human rights violators, and other priority aliens.
• OPLA also provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices.
• OPLA attorneys provide legal advice and prudential counsel to ICE personnel on their law enforcement authorities, legal liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Bivens v.
• Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed.
• Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, ethics, and a range of administrative law issues, such as contract, fiscal and employment law.
• OPLA attorneys represent the agency before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Contract Board of Appeals.
• OPLA attorneys support the Department of Justice in the prosecution of ICE cases and in the defense of civil cases against ICE.
• The selected attorney will immediately be given significant responsibilities and will be expected to craft legally supportable policies to address the needs of agency operational components.
• The attorney will be expected to routinely provide timely legal opinions to ICE officers and agents, management, and leadership within OPLA, ICE, and DHS's Office of the General Counsel Headquarters.
• The selected attorney will be required to assess litigation risk and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.
• As a General Attorney, you will perform the following duties at the full performance level: Represent the United States Government in removal proceedings before immigration judges, frequently involving applicants for asylum or for other forms of relief under immigration laws; Provide expert legal counsel in the interpretation of highly complex immigration and customs laws including comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of statutory, regulatory and case authorities; Prepare cases for litigation by conducting legal research; prepare pleadings, motions, briefs, stipulations, affidavits, and other legal documents; Prepare witnesses for litigation; conduct direct examination and cross­ examination; present oral arguments advancing ICE's legal position; negotiate the disposition of cases with opposing counsel; and advise the Regional Counsel, Deputy Regional Counsel, and/or Associate Regional Counsel on cases potentially warranting deferred action or other exercise of prosecutorial discretion; Provide litigation support to the United States Attorney's Offices on civil matters pending in the federal courts involving ICE, and serve as liaison between the Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Litigation and the local Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office on immigration matters pending in the Circuit Courts of Appeals; Provide legal advice and support to the other ICE components and litigation support to United States Attorney's Offices in immigration and/or customs matters.
• The position also involves appellate advocacy before the Board of Immigration Appeals, including the preparation of briefs and other pleadings.
• 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, in which case a service agreement will be required.

How You Will Be Evaluated

All information and documents submitted as set forth in the Required Documents section will be reviewed to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Qualified candidates will be rated by comparing each candidate’s qualifications to the skills and experience pertinent to the position to be filled. Experience, education, training, awards, and performance will be considered. An applicant need not have specific knowledge and experience regarding each item listed in the Qualifications section in order to qualify for the position.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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.
• Resume: Your resume must include announcement number (DE-12987851-26-TEM), education, work experience, training, awards, and work experience.
• 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.
• Note: USAJOBS restricts resume submissions to two pages.
• Be sure your resume meets this requirement before applying.
• Bar Membership/Certificate of Good Standing: Submit a current 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 territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• If you are a current or former federal employee: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel 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 A, 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, cover letter, and/or a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.