Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Chief Counsel, located in multiple locations across the country.

Duties

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This position is that of a Title Attorney within the Office of Chief Counsel in the multiple locations across the country (Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ, Yuma, AZ, San Francisco, California; Denver, Colorado; Washington, District of Columbia; Miami, Florida, Glynco, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; New Orleans, LA; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Nashville, TN; San Antonio, TX; Ashburn, VA; and Milwaukee, WI). The Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) is one of the Government's largest and oldest legal offices. OCC attorneys work on cutting-edge legal issues and provide critical advice across the CBP portfolio, including trade enforcement, search and seizure, immigration, and government ethics. They also represent the agency in labor and employment matters and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.

This position starts at a salary of $89,508.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $162,514.00 (GS-14, Step 10) with promotion potential to $1623,514(GS-14, Step 10).

In this position, you will become a key member of the legal team of The Office of Chief Counsel. Typical work assignments include:

• Providing legal guidance to, and advocating on behalf of, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a wide variety of matters, including real property issues, such as providing detailed title review for CBP-funded land acquisitions including problematic conveyancing issues and the optimal resolution of such issues.
• Providing legal guidance and drafting of land conveyancing instruments such as deeds, sales and exchange agreements, assignments, subordinations, pre- and post- acquisition title opinions and other instruments for real property conveyancing and drafting, revising and amending such instruments as necessary to comply with the DOJ Title Regulations, other applicable laws and regulations, and the client agencies' land acquisition goals and policies.
• Supporting the Department of Justice as agency counsel in civil actions (i.e., FOIA, FTCA,) brought in federal court by preparing litigation reports, affidavits, and other pleadings, and participating in eDiscovery, motion drafting, witness interviews, and mediation/settlement discussions.
• Performing legal research and applying laws, regulations, decisions, and guidance across the CBP portfolio including title review, federal land acquisition, and fiscal and appropriation laws, such as the permissible use of appropriated funds and the preparation of CBP's annual budget request.
• Developing and delivering legal training to CBP managers and employees relating to all aspects of title review, federal land acquisition, and fiscal activities and functions of CBP.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
• You may be required to pass a background investigation
• CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
• As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.
• Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Specialized Education: Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 12/12/2026.

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 5 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.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.

Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:

• Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
• A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
• Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
• Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Additional information

**Recruitment or Relocation Incentive** Newly appointed General Attorneys may be offered a recruitment incentive up to $50,000. A service agreement is required.

Current CBP General Attorneys may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive up to 25% of base pay. A service agreement is required for all incentives.

Career Progression: As a General Attorney, the full performance level is GS-14. General Attorneys are eligible for promotion to the next GS level after serving a minimum of one year at their current GS level, and at a minimum, have a "Meets Expectations" performance rating. Once a General Attorney reaches the full performance level of GS-14 and meets time in grade and performance standards, they may apply for a GS-15 position, such as senior attorney or a supervisory attorney position.

Trial/Probationary Period: You may be required to serve a trial/probationary period of 2 years.

Travel: You will be required to travel as needed for any mandatory training, and to provide legal support to or on behalf of CBP clients or to deliver training, in various field operating locations.

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process (Excepted Service) and is not in the competitive civil service.

Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Office of Chief Counsel considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in the hiring process.

Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

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.

Benefits

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Learn more about OCC's mission, core values and careers at https://careers.cbp.gov/s/career-paths/occ/occ-attorney

Review our benefits