Board Member

Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)
Board of Immigration Appeals
Attorney
Falls Church, VA 22041
United States
EOIR-16-0048
About the Office: 

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 review, and administrative hearings.  EOIR consists of three 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 cases.  EOIR's Headquarters is located in Falls Church, Virginia, about 10 miles from downtown Washington, DC. 


This position is located at the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) , Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Department of Justice. The BIA has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals of decisions made by immigration judges or certain officers of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Decisions are binding, unless modified or overruled by the Attorney General or a federal court.

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.

Job Description: 

Board Members hear appeals of decisions made by immigration judges or certain officers of the DHS. Central to the Board’s role is the issuance of precedent decisions interpreting complex immigration laws and providing nationwide guidance to the immigration courts, DHS, and the private bar.

The majority of appeals reaching the Board involve orders of removal and applications for relief from removal. Other matters before the Board include petitions to classify the status of alien relatives for the issuance of preference immigrant visas, fines imposed upon carriers for the violation of immigration laws, and motions for reopening and reconsideration of decisions previously rendered. Generally, the Board does not conduct courtroom proceedings – it decides appeals by conducting a “paper review” of cases. In addition, the Board is responsible for the recognition of organizations and accreditation of representatives requesting permission to practice before DHS, the immigration courts, and the Board.

Qualifications: 

You must possess an LL.B or a J.D. degree and be duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of a state, a territory or the District of Columbia (include date of admission to bar); and have a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant, post-bar admission legal experience at the time you submit your application, with at least one year of experience at a level equivalent to the GS-15 level in Federal service.

Salary: 
$123,175.00 to $185,100.00 / per year
Travel: 
Not Required
Application Process: 

If you are submitting a resume, it must include the announcement number, title and grades(s) of the job for which you are applying; your full name, mailing address (with ZIP Code), day and evening phone numbers (with area code), email address, social security number, country of citizenship, veterans' preference, highest Federal civilian grade held including job series and dates held.

Applications may be hand delivered, mailed or emailed.  To avoid delays, we highly recommend hand carrying or emailing your application package.  The email address is:  EOIR.HR_Application_Review@usdoj.gov .  Applications must be received by email on the closing date of this announcement in the Human Resources Office no later than 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday, March 18, 2016.

Applications can be mailed to: U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Administration Division, Office of Human Resources, 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2300, Falls Church, VA  22041.  Attn: Kathy Tolson

APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IF THEY ARE SUBMITTED BY TELEFAX, OR SENT USING GOVERNMENT-PAID POSTAGE OR FRANKED ENVELOPE.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Application Deadline: 
Friday, March 18, 2016
Relocation Expenses: 
None
Updated February 19, 2016

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Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity:  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.

Reasonable Accommodations:  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.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities:  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.   

Suitability and Citizenship:  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.

Veterans:  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).

USAO Residency Requirement:  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.

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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.