Legal Careers
Attorney Advisor (Immigration)
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) seeks highly-qualified individuals to join our team of expert professionals in becoming a part of our challenging and rewarding Agency. The primary mission of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is to adjudicate immigration cases by fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly interpreting and administering the Nation's immigration laws. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, EOIR conducts immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings. EOIR consists of three adjudicatory components: The Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, which is responsible for managing the Immigration Courts where Immigration Judges adjudicate individual cases; the Board of Immigration Appeals, which primarily conducts appellate reviews of these Immigration Judge decisions; and the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, which adjudicates immigration-related employment cases.
This position is located in the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Office of the Director, Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP).The incumbent assists the Program Director in developing, implementing, and managing OLAP programs; may assist in the adjudication process of applications from entities requesting to be included on the List of Pro Bono Legal Services Providers; and may assist in the adjudication process of applications from organizations seeking recognition from organizations seeking accreditation of their representatives.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
As an Attorney Advisor (Immigration), duties will include, but are not limited to the following:
Assist in developing, implementing, and managing OLAP's programs and provide advice to the OLAP Program Director and other senior officials on issues relating to operational structure.
Serve as a Contract Officer's Representative (COR) to develop, administer, evaluate, and ensure compliance of programs with their respective service agreements; respond to contract-related needs of individuals and organizations carrying out such programs; and cultivate strong working relationships between government entities and the contractor/subcontractors.
Assist with coordinating numerous pro bono efforts with EOIR components, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and the immigration legal service community.
Assist in conducting assessments and evaluating proposed legislative changes that may impact the office, its methods, and operations.
Recommend policies, procedures, and regulations regarding new or amended legislation.
Draft reports on mission-critical subject matter for agency-wide use.
Assist in developing and implementing initiatives to improve capacity, training, monitoring, and general public outreach regarding OLAP's programs.
In order to qualify for the Attorney Advisor (Immigration), GS-14 position, you must meet ALL of the following minimum qualifications by the closing date of announcement:
Minimum Qualifications:
A. Applicants must have a LL.B. or J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar, duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of a U.S. state, territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia (include the date of your admission to the bar).
B. Applicants must possess at least four (4) years post-J.D. legal experience. Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.
Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx . If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required, prior to your first day.
Special instructions for foreign education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience you report relative to this position. To preview the assessment questions for this position, click View Assessment Questions.
Additional Requirements:
- You must submit a writing sample not to exceed ten (10) pages.
- If appointed, you will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement.
- It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace, and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.
- Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation.
You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, May 27, 2016. You may apply online or fax in your documents. Applying online is the quickest and most convenient way to process your application and track your status. To begin the online process, follow these steps:
1. Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire. You must click the Submit My Answers button at the end of this process.
2. To fax supporting documents that you are unable to upload, complete this cover http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and use the following Vacancy Identification Number: 1692959; fax your documents to 1-(478)-757-3144. You can verify that your uploaded documents are attached to your application by checking the Details tab of your Application Manager account for this vacancy announcement. Your documents will display under the Details tab in the Document area. Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process. Documents submitted with missing information may not be processed. NOTE: To return to a previously Saved or Incomplete application you may use the following link: https://applicationmanager.gov.
If you cannot apply online, follow these steps:
- Print a copy of this vacancy announcement.
- Click the following link to view and print the Assessment Questionnaire, View Occupational Questionnaire.
- Print the OPM Form 1203-FX, in order to provide your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. You may obtain the form by using this URL link, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OPM1203fx.pdf. You may omit any optional information; however, you must provide responses to all required questions.
- Fax the completed 1203-FX form, resume, and supporting documents to 1-(478)-757-3144. Your 1203-FX form will serve as a cover page for your fax transmission. Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process. Documents submitted with missing information may not be processed.
GS-0905-14/14 ($108,887.00 to $141,555.00)
Department Policies
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
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 include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, 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 Form (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 SF 15, which lists 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 nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.