General Attorney

Job DescriptionJob Description

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Office of the Principal Legal Advisor

Summary

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is seeking an energetic and dedicated attorney to serve as an Associate Legal Advisor with the Labor and Employment Division (LELD) in Washington, D.C.

This position is located at OPLA Headquarters, in Washington, D.C. The selectee may be approved for local remote work (i.e., within a 50-mile radius of the agency worksite). This position is also telework-eligible, in conformance with agency policy.

Overview

Open & closing dates

05/31/2024 to 05/30/2025

Salary

$82,764 - $191,900 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 11 - 15

Location

Few vacancies in the following location:

Washington, DC

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

Yes—Remote work negotiable.

Travel Required

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

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

15

Job family (Series)

0905 Attorney

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Secret

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

Trust determination process

National security

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Clarification from the agency

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

Duties

ICE OPLA (LELD) is seeking an attorney for an Associate Legal Advisor position in Washington, D.C. to handle issues relating to:

Providing legal advice, training, and support to ICE programs, including top-ranking officials, on Federal employment law issues, including performance and conduct issues; complaints of prohibited discrimination, harassment, and retaliation/reprisal; and prohibited personnel practices and whistleblower retaliation;

Serving as agency counsel in proceedings before administrative and judicial forums, including arbitration, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, the Office of Special Counsel, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the U.S. Federal Courts;

At higher grade levels, working on more complex third-party proceedings including those of national importance to ICE and providing legal advice to top-ranking officials.

Experience in practicing Federal labor and/or employment law, including matters involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Family Medical Leave Act, Rehabilitation Act, the Federal Services Labor Management Relations Statute, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, is strongly preferred but not required. In addition, the selectee must possess the ability to represent ICE in high-level meetings and to provide legal advice to top-ranking officials.

LELD provides legal advice to ICE program offices. LELD's work contributes to significant policy decisions integral to ICE's mission. Assignments within LELD are fast-paced and involve high-profile work. LELD attorneys advise, counsel, and train ICE program offices on legal authorities, best practices, and agency policies on a wide array of issues, including but not limited to those listed above.

LELD attorneys work closely with a wide range of ICE program offices, including the Office of Human Capital and the Office of Professional Responsibility. They also work occasionally with various departmental components as well as other federal agencies and departments.

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, LELD management, and leadership within OPLA, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security'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 (DOJ).

OPLA is the largest legal program in DHS, employing over 1,200 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 provides 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 represents the agency before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. OPLA attorneys support DOJ in the prosecution of ICE cases and in the defense of civil cases against ICE.

OPLA fosters an environment in which all voices are heard and values the unique perspectives and opinions that inhere among a talented, diverse, and inclusive workforce. Comprising a far more diverse workforce than its private sector counterparts, OPLA is proud to strive to further diversify the experiences, perspectives, and characteristics of its workforce. It is committed to celebrating

our differences and embracing practices that foster a fair, safe, and inclusive workplace by promoting equitable access to opportunities. In keeping with this commitment, OPLA will ensure that qualified applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is required for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.

RequirementsConditions of Employment

• You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug test for federal
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 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
• You may be required to serve a two-year trial period if the requirement has not been
• Current OPLA attorneys must have completed two years of service with OPLA by the announcement closing date to be considered for this position.
• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a S. state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
• Relocation expenses will not be reimbursed in connection with this
• Occasional travel may be required, and you may be required to attend meetings and trainings at OPLA Headquarters and elsewhere in National Capital Region.

Qualifications

Qualification 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 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 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.

Education

Applicants must be a graduate of an American Bar Association accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) 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.

Additional information

Local Remote Work: This position is located at OPLA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and it has been approved for local remote work. Selectees may be eligible for local remote work; remote work, however, is not an employee right or entitlement, and approval is at the discretion of OPLA management based on the specific needs of the organization, and in accordance with agency policy. If a selectee is approved for local remote work, the selectee's alternative worksite (i.e., residence, approved telework center, or another approved location) must be within a 50-mile radius of the Agency worksite.

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 the 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.

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.

Drug Test: Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace. All applicants tentatively selected for employment are subject to pre-employment drug testing, and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative result.

One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement.

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 the required information as listed in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect your overall rating.

Cover Letter: Your cover letter must discuss your interest in the position; your pertinent knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience; and your personal characteristics and competencies that qualify you for the position as detailed in the Duties and Qualifications sections of this announcement. Your cover letter must also include your full name; home address; home or work e-mail address(es); phone number(s) where we may contact you; name of law school, year of graduation, and year admitted to the bar.

Résumé: Your résumé must include announcement number (DE-12432551-JP), your education, work experience, training, and any professional awards you have received. For each work experience listed, please include your job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, and starting and ending dates in "MM/YY" form. Please indicate whether we

may contact your current supervisor.

Writing Sample: A writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical abilities must be submitted as part of your application package, for which you must be the principal author. It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages.

Transcript: If you have practiced law for fewer than five years, you must submit a copy of your law school transcript. Your transcript must include your grade-point average or class ranking, where available. If you have practiced law for five years or more, no transcript is required.

Bar Membership/Certificate of Good Standing: Submit a 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 U.S. state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.

If applicable ** Before clicking on the Quick Apply button do note we require an upload verification of your Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an American Bar accredited law school AND a bar card certificate of good standing. Any applicant who does not upload these documents at the time of application will not be considered.

---