Legal Careers
Trial Attorney (OIL/DNS)
The Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) Branch is responsible for the nationwide coordination of all civil immigration litigation before the federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals. OIL has two sections: the General Litigation and Appeals Section (OIL-GLA) and District Court National Security Section (OIL-DNS).
OIL-DNS handles immigration litigation in all federal district courts with a national security nexus, as well as appeals that arise from those cases. OIL-DNS works closely with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its constituent components, the Department of State (DOS), intelligence community counterparts, and the United States Attorneys' offices. OIL-DNS also provides support and counsel to all federal agencies involved in the admission, regulation, and removal of noncitizens under our immigration and nationality statutes, as well as related areas of border enforcement and national security.
OIL-DNS litigates a diverse docket of national security-related matters, defending executive agencies in individual, multi-party, and class action litigation in district and appellate courts, nationwide.
OIL-DNS attorneys handle individual and class-based challenges to the Immigration and Nationality Act and its implementing regulations related to National Security. Many of these challenges involve issues of first impression involving constitutional rights and entitlements, statutory interpretation, federal authority over immigration matters, agency rulemaking procedures, and Article III standing. In federal courts around the country, OIL-DNS primarily represents the interests of client agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State. Work includes handling all aspects of trial and appellate practice in all jurisdictions nationwide.
The Section's work arises in a variety of immigration contexts, including defense of: de novo lawsuits under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1421(c) and 1447(b), denials and delays of naturalization applications to prevent terrorists from obtaining United States citizenship (and U.S. passports); habeas corpus petitions filed by individuals posing a national security threat; national-security-focused challenges to the denial of applications for adjustment of status and visas under the Administrative Procedure Act; class-action and programmatic challenges to national-security checks and immigration-benefit adjudications; and mandamus challenges to immigrant-benefit application delays involving both overt and non-overt national-security concerns. A critical component of DNS's complex work involves litigation of extraordinary detention authorities to detain suspected or known terrorists presenting unique removal challenges as some of the most dangerous aliens in the United States.
This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.
Applicants must have a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least one year of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-12 level; have at least one and a half years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; have at least two and a half years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-14 level; and four years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-15 level. You must also be a U.S. citizen.
Applicants should have excellent writing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills; exhibit good judgment, and have experience in trial work. Judicial clerkship experience is desirable.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 2/28/2025 to receive consideration. To apply, please click this link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/831629700
You must submit a cover letter, and resume. If you are claiming veterans preference, you must also submit your DD-214, and/or other documentation that you may have.
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
$101,401.00 - $195,200
Department Policies
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to equal employment opportunity (EEO) and treating employees with fairness, dignity and compassion. We must ensure that no applicant for employment or employee of our Department is denied equal opportunity because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex – including pregnancy – or because of age, physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor and that all have the freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field. To learn more, please view the Department’s full Equal Employment Opportunity Policy 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://help.usajobs.gov/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.
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.