SummaryJoin the dedicated appellate practitioners of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Immigration Law and Practice Division (ILPD) across the country and assist in shaping immigration law to protect our homeland.
NOTE: Applicants currently serving in attorney positions for ICE cannot use this announcement for reassignment.DutiesHelp
OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide to provide a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices. OPLA's Enforcement, General Law, and Litigation (EG&L) divisions, through close client engagement, advance ICE's homeland security and public safety mission by providing expert legal advice and guidance to ICE personnel enforcing our nation's immigration, customs, and criminal laws and policies. Counsel in EG&L also defend the operational authorities and decisions of ICE officers and agents in federal courts and support the advocacy of ICE attorneys before immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), with special emphasis on cases involving criminal aliens, human rights violators, and aliens who threaten our national security.
ILPD attorneys review DHS appeals filed with the BIA, represent DHS in briefing before the Attorney General and in oral arguments and supplemental briefing before the BIA, and coordinate closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ) to pursue further review of adverse federal court immigration decisions. ILPD provides guidance to OPLA attorneys appearing in immigration court, agency leadership, Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations, DHS OGC HQ, and various DOJ components on a wide range of substantive immigration law issues, including, but not limited to, criminal grounds of removability, bond proceedings, and extradition. ILPD also provides specialized legal advice on matters involving refugees, asylum, statutory withholding of removal, the regulations implementing U.S. obligations under Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture, and Temporary Protected Status, and advances OPLA's efforts to combat protection law-related fraud.
Selected attorneys will immediately be given significant responsibilities and will be expected to craft persuasive, legally supportable positions to address the needs of agency operational components. Selected attorneys will be expected to routinely provide timely legal opinions to ICE officers and agents, division management, and leadership within OPLA, ICE, and DHS OGC HQ. Selected attorneys will also provide litigation support to DOJ.
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.
RequirementsHelp
Conditions of employment- You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug test for federal employment.
- Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
- You must have relevant experience (see How You Will Be Evaluated and Qualifications tabs).
- You must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
- You may be required to serve a two-year trial period if the requirement has not been met.
- You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
QualificationsQualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.Applicants should be able to efficiently produce quality legal analyses of complex and novel issues, exercise sound legal judgment, prioritize competing assignments, and work effectively independently, as part of a team, and across work units. Applicants should be detail-oriented and have a strong interest in supporting and providing stellar client services to program offices and agency personnel, including law enforcement officers, policymakers, attorneys, and agency senior leadership, and must be able to tailor communications to particular audiences. Applicants should be able to take initiative and work in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner.
Applicants should possess the following characteristics and competencies: integrity, sound professional judgment, organizational skills, decisiveness, initiative, stellar client services, the ability to function independently and cooperatively, and superior written and oral advocacy skills.
Bar Membership: You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last five years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
EducationApplicants 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.
Bargaining Unit Status: This is a non-bargaining position.
Promotion Potential: This position has promotion potential to the GS-15 level. When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform duties at a higher level and administrative approval. Further, promotion from the GS-14 level to the GS-15 level is subject to OPLA's internal guidance.
Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the Excepted Service; however, OPLA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Financial Disclosure: If you are hired, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days after appointment.
Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment, you must complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Background Investigation: DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants for this position must undergo a background investigation and successfully obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Secret level as a condition of placement into this position. This process may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support, and tax obligations, and a review of certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
BenefitsHelp
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
