Do you desire to be a part of the vibrant United States immigrant admission process, to protect American interests and to secure our nation while building a meaningful and rewarding career? If so, United States Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS), and its Office of the Chief Counsel are calling! The Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC), is seeking an attorney for an Associate Counsel position to handle immigration issues with the Service Center Law Division to be located in Laguna Niguel, CA.

Duties

As part of both USCIS and the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), you will work with other highly talented attorneys and colleagues on a rich array of intellectually challenging, critically important, cutting edge legal issues. Working along-side other components of DHS, USCIS strives to administer immigration benefit applications fairly, efficiently, and in keeping with the law, while simultaneously safeguarding our borders, our cyber space, and other elements of our nation's security. This vital mission is achieved by a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join, OCC, USCIS, and DHS! Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, providing legal advice to USCIS personnel on issues involving immigration related adjudications, inadmissibility and deportability grounds, and national security. OCC Associate Counsel are also responsible for writing visa appeal briefs and providing litigation support to the U.S. Attorney's office on cases arising from USCIS adjudications. The position is supervised by a SCLD Deputy Chief and the SCLD Chief.

Requirements

Qualifications

You qualify at the GS-12 level if you: have graduated from law school and are licensed by your state's Bar or will soon graduate from law school within the next 11 months and expect to be licensed by your state's Bar within one year of law school graduation. You qualify at the GS-13 level if you: are currently an attorney in federal employment with the equivalent of being a GS-12 and at least one year experience at that level, or if not a federal employee and you have at least one year of post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. You qualify at the GS-14 level if you: are currently an attorney in federal employment with the equivalent of being a GS-13 and at least one year experience at that level, or if not a federal employee and you have at least two years of post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. You qualify at the GS-15 level if you: are currently an attorney in federal employment with the equivalent of being a GS-14 and at least one year experience at that level, or if not a federal employee and you have at least three years of post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an ABA-accredited law school or serve a legal apprenticeship in California, Virginia, Vermont, or Washington and pass the bar exam in order to be permitted to practice law in one (1) of those jurisdictions. Bar Requirement GS-13 thru GS-15: Be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction). Experience Requirement GS-13-GS-15: Have at least (1) year of immigration experience, including any relevant experience gained prior to becoming an attorney. Prior to entering on duty, all selected attorneys must provide a Certificate of Good Standing in holding an active Bar License to practice law in any state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. All applicants will be rated against the following factors: Ability to resolve questions and provide accurate legal advice to both attorneys and non-attorneys on complex legal matters. Ability to handle a heavy workload and meet deadlines. Legal aptitude as reflected in the resume provided. Quality of writing sample not to exceed 10 pages. Quality of the cover letter addressed to OCC summarizing interest in the position not to exceed 1 page. Quality of recommendations provided (No more than 3 recommendations total). To preview the job questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12147109.

Contacts

• Address
• Name: Dinae Balbontin
• Email: [email protected]