Legal Careers
Detail opportunity: Attorney Advisor GS-13/14/15
Falls Church, VA 22041 - United States
The Office of Policy (OP), Executive Office for Immigration Review, has a Detail opportunity not to exceed (NTE) 120 days for an Attorney Advisor (Immigration Law Division), GS-0905-13/14/15 position.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Drafting rulemaking documents, including both regulatory text and preamble language to support and justify EOIR policy positions, through collaboration with ILD team members to achieve work products that are thoroughly researched and align with EOIR’s policy objectives.
- Identifying and evaluating policies, procedures, operational impacts, impacts to parties before EOIR as well as the public, statutes, regulations, and case law, including complex issues of fact and law, for rulemaking purposes.
- Identifying areas for research and conducting research to support and improve EOIR’s rulemaking initiatives.
- Engaging with intra- and inter-agency inquiries and comments on rulemaking initiatives.
- Organizing, reviewing, summarizing, and responding to public comments received on EOIR rulemaking documents.
- Assessing rulemaking policies for administrative soundness, efficiency, economical operation, and consistency with EOIR’s mission and intent of the law.
- Preparing memoranda, legal and policy responses, and reports for leadership related to rulemaking initiatives.
- Coordinating with other OP divisions as needed on the dissemination of EOIR policy and relevant case law updates.
In order to qualify for the Attorney Advisor (ILD) position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Required Experience:
FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL:
Specialized Experience: Applicants for the GS-13 level must have two full years (24 months) of post J.D. or LL.B. professional legal experience that includes the following:
- Analyzing complex legal questions and factual immigration issues for use in the review, interpretation, and application of immigration law;
- Drafting policies, procedures, training, or other highly complex legal work products involving the analysis and application of existing, new, or amended regulations, legislation, and other changes in law; AND
- Using effective oral and written communication and negotiation skills to communicate assessments to administrative adjudicators or other subject matter experts, understanding and acting upon detailed oral and written instructions, and demonstrating a commitment to personal and organizational success.
FOR THE GS-14 LEVEL:
Specialized Experience: In addition to the specialized experience specified for the GS-13 Level, Applicants must have three full years (36 months) of professional legal experience of post J.D. or LL.B. professional legal experience that includes the following:
- Analyzing complex legal questions and factual immigration issues for use in the review, interpretation, and application of immigration law;
- Drafting and coordinating policies, procedures, training, or other highly complex legal work products involving the analysis and application of existing, new, or amended regulations, legislation, and other changes in law; AND
- Using effective oral and written communication and negotiation skills to build and maintain working relationships with different levels of agency personnel, understanding and acting upon detailed oral and written instructions, and demonstrating a commitment to personal and organizational success.
FOR THE GS-15 LEVEL:
Specialized Experience: In addition to the specialized experience specified for the GS-14 Level, applicants must have four full years (48 months) of professional legal experience that includes the following:
- Facilitating rulemaking initiatives or developing other large-scale policy initiatives;
- Evaluating and identifying potential rulemaking or other large-scale policy initiatives that promote EOIR policy objectives and address operational concerns, legal cases or other impacts to the activities of the agency, parties before EOIR, as well as the public;
- Providing expert advice and guidance to other team members;
- Identifying cross-component operational impacts of rulemaking initiatives or other large-scale policy initiatives; AND
- Identifying and advocating for EOIR policy objectives in rulemaking initiatives or other large-scale policy initiatives.
NOTE: Qualifying experience is calculated only after receipt of J.D. or LL.B.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Interested candidates must provide the following to be considered for this detail:
- Cover Letter
- Current Resume
- Most recent SF-50 (reflecting your current grade and series)
Submit all required documents above to the following email box by the closing date of this announcement: EOIR.HR_Application_Review@usdoj.gov.
Please reference vacancy announcement number EOIR-25-0027 in your cover letter and the subject line of the email.
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.
If selected, this detail will not result in a promotion. The selectee’s current grade and pay will remain unchanged.
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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.
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.