General Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Office of the Principal Legal Advisor

Summary

Organizational Location : This announcement will be used to fill multiple vacancies at Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Field Locations. Although this announcement is advertised for multiple locations, it is not intended to convey that vacancies will be filled at all locations.

While this position is telework eligible, it is not eligible for remote reporting.

Overview

Salary

62,107 - $135,987 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 11 - 14

Locations

Few vacancies in the following locations :

Eloy, AZ

Florence, AZ

Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ

Additional locations are listed below.

Remote job

Telework eligible

Yes?as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

0905 Attorney

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Secret

Drug test

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS) / High Risk

Trust determination process

National security

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

Duties

OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 1,500 attorneys nationwide. In addition to Headquarters in Washington, D.C., there are 25 OPLA Field Locations in more than 60 cities 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 noncitizens, terrorists, human rights violators, and other priority noncitizens. 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 Chief Counsel and / or Deputy Chief Counsel on cases potentially warranting deferred action or other exercise of prosecutorial discretion;

Construct litigation reports for United States Attorney's Offices on civil matters pending in the federal courts involving ICE, and serve as liaison between Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Litigation and the local Enforcement and Removal 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.

Requirements - Conditions of Employment

• You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen for federal
• If you are a male born after 12 / 31 / 59, you must certify registration with the Selective Service.
• 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
• You may be required to serve a two-year trial period, if the requirement has not been
• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a S. state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Qualifications

Applicants should possess an ability to efficiently produce quality legal analyses of complex and novel issues, exercise sound legal judgment, be detail oriented, prioritize competing assignments, and work effectively independently, as part of a team, and across work units. Applicants should have a strong interest in supporting and providing stellar client services to diverse program offices including law enforcement officers, policymakers, attorneys, and agency senior leadership, and must be able to tailor communications to a particular audience. Applicants should be able to demonstrate an ability 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.

To qualify for the GS-11 : You must be a graduate from an accredited law school and be an active member

Salary : $62,107 - $135,987