Job opening: General Attorney
Salary: $117 962 - 191 900 per year
Published at: Oct 15 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
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!
Duties
The Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is seeking an attorney for an Associate Counsel position to handle litigation issues with the Strategic Law Division (SLD) located in Camp Springs, MD. The position is telework-eligible.
Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, providing advice, coordination, and assistance on litigation matters that are novel, unique, and/or of national importance. Litigation support ranges from pre-filing to trials to appeals, including matters before the United States Supreme Court. The attorney will provide advice on litigation risk, and on the litigation process, including discovery, to the USCIS Chief Counsel, USCIS executives, and other USCIS employees. The attorney will frequently work with other USCIS attorneys, the DHS Office of General Counsel, and the Department of Justice. Matters in litigation may pertain to the Immigration and Nationality Act, Administrative Procedures Act, fraud and fraud detection, public safety, national security and other laws and procedures relating to immigration benefits.
The attorney will coordinate appropriate action on cases where the issues in the matter are novel, unique, and/or have national implications. This includes coordinating all phases of trial and appellate litigation, identifying potential litigation risks, assisting with settlement and mediation, managing discovery; ensuring compliance with court orders, judgements, injunctions, and settlements; advising on litigation strategy; and assessing litigation trends. The attorney will review policy memos, training, and draft case decisions in matters in which there is litigation or potential for litigation. The attorney will coordinate within the Office of the Chief Counsel to provide guidance and expertise on matters in litigation. The position is supervised by an SLD Deputy Chief and the SLD Chief.
Qualifications
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).
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/12567594.
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