Attorney Advisor

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the General Counsel, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice. The incumbent serves as an Attorney Advisor (General) performing duties in support of the Office of the General Counsel's Immigration Law Unit. Specifically, the incumbent is primarily responsible for providing legal advice and litigation support on behalf of the General Counsel.

Duties

The Attorney General of the United States, through the Department of Justice (DOJ) has delegated to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) those aspects of his/her authority that involve the administration and interpretation of the immigration laws of the United States, to include the review of immigration hearings and allegations of employment discrimination, document fraud, and employer sanctions. The primary mission of the Executive Office for Immigration Review is to adjudicate immigration cases by fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly interpreting and administering the Nation's immigration laws. The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) provides legal advice on a wide variety of matters involving the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and its employees in the performance of their official duties. OGC serves as the principal point of contact and agency counsel for EOIR with other Department of Justice (DOJ) offices and government agencies on all EOIR-related legal matters. The Employee/Labor Relations (ELR) Unit of OGC advises agency managers on labor and employment matters, defends EOIR in all phases of employment-related litigation, monitors investigations conducted by the Office of Professional Responsibility in the DOJ, and defends against unfair labor practices charges. The OGC staff responds to all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act requests and is the designated point of contact regarding Standards of Conduct and other ethics guidance for all EOIR employees. OGC also administers the Records Information Management and Privacy Programs, Reasonable Accommodations, Attorney Discipline Program and the Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program. The litigation that the incumbent will support include high-profile class action matters as well as individual habeas, mandamus and other actions raising claims related to the U.S. Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act and its implementing regulations. The incumbent will also be responsible for ad hoc assignments related legal questions from EOIR's components and external stakeholders as well as legislative and policy review on the agency's behalf and representation, in formal and informal settings, for agency management on various legal matters relating to employment laws and regulations including labor and employee relations, equal employment opportunity, discipline, performance management, and related actions. Other ad hoc assignments may include matters relating to ethics, FOIA, privacy, fraud, audits, and attorney discipline. An Attorney Advisor, at full performance, will perform duties such as: Provides legal advice to EOIR's leadership and agency staff regarding any substantive immigration law matters, including agency operations and policy, as well as legal risk assessment. Provides litigation support regarding high-profile class action matters as well as individual habeas, mandamus and other actions raising claims related to the U.S. Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Immigration and Nationality Act and its implementing regulations. Responsible for ad hoc assignments related legal questions from EOIR's components and external stakeholders as well as legislative and policy review on the agency's behalf.?

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Attorney Advisor position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Education: Applicants must possess an LL.B. or a J.D. degree. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.) AND Licensure: Applicants must be an active member of the bar, duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the U.S., or the District of Columbia. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your first license and the State from which it was issued.) AND FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have two full years (24 months) of professional legal experience that includes the following: Drafting legal memoranda, opinions, decisions, briefs, or other legal documents; Providing legal advice, analysis, and recommendations on complex legal matters; Reviewing and evaluating cases, records, or legal documents for legal sufficiency; and Researching, analyzing, and interpreting statutes, regulations, case law, and agency policies FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have three full years (36 months) of professional legal experience that includes the following: Managing litigation matters, including developing litigation strategy, coordination of agency resources, drafting pleadings, responding to discovery, and negotiating settlements; Researching, analyzing, and interpreting statues, regulations, case law, and policy with significant programmatic or legal impact; Preparing oral and written legal opinions and analysis of the legal and policy implications of proposed or ongoing agency actions and identifying the key legal issues involved; and Representing or serving as lead in-house counsel for the agency or program in legal proceedings, hearings, appeals, or negotiations. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) NOTE: Qualifying experience is calculated only after receipt of J.D. or LL.B. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your assessment questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal grade level(s) held, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties. Writing Sample: In addition to the above-stated qualifications, applicants must submit a writing sample that demonstrates their ability to author legal documents to be considered for this position. Only the first 10 (ten pages) pages will be reviewed. This document cannot exceed 10 (ten pages). Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

Evaluations

If it is determined that you meet the minimum qualification requirement, your application will be identified for referral to the hiring manager for further review and consideration. There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g. the DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10- point preference must submit Standard From SF-15, Application for 10- Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of the SF-15, which list the types of 10- point preferences and the required supporting document (s). Applicants should note that SF-15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of non-service connected disabilities pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch or Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retirement list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more.)In order to be rated as meeting the minimum qualifications, we must be able to determine from your application package that you have the education and experience that is required. Applicants who have qualifying experience performed on less than a full-time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.Your resume MUST contain your full name, some form of contact information (phone number, email address and/or living address), and the following employment information: Employer name and location for each position held. From and to dates (MM/YY-MM/YY or from MM/YY to "present") for each position held. The month and year is required to fully credit your time. For part-time positions, please include number of hours worked per week, positions that do not include this information will be assumed as full-time (40 hours a week). Grade/levels held for each federal position. (Ex. GS-11; IR-06; FV-G...etc.) Detailed descriptions of experience under each position held. (Applicants must provide specific supporting examples to show that they meet the qualifications of the position shown in the announcement.) Any submitted documents not required or requested for this vacancy will not be considered (i.e. training certificates, case filings, letter of recommendations, etc.). (ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION PRIOR TO FINAL SELECTION.)

How to apply You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/04/2026, the closing date of the announcement. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the assessment questionnaire, which can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13005153. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact weston.v.sperbeck@usdoj.gov. You must submit a complete application by the close of the announcement.

Other information There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must claim their status when completing their application in the online application process and attach supporting documentation. (See "Required Documents" section.) Conditions of Employment: Only U.S. Citizens or Nationals are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ applicants, both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, whose job location is with the U.S., must meet the residency requirement. For a total of three (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: 1) resided in the U.S., 2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving oversees.