Attorney Advisor

This position is located in the U. S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of Policy/ Immigration Law Division (ILD). The Attorney Advisor provides assistance to the Chief, Immigration Law Division with technical legal advice on the development and implementation of agency-wide standards for legal proceedings for both immigration courts and appellate levels of the immigration process.

Duties

• Drafting rulemaking documents, including both regulatory text and preamble language to support and justify agency policy positions, through collaboration with team members to achieve work products that are thoroughly researched and align with agency policy objectives.
• Providing comprehensive research and preparation of legal memoranda necessary to clarify and provide legal interpretations of immigration provisions, new directives and regulations.
• Preparing memoranda, legal and policy responses, and reports for leadership related to rulemaking initiatives.
• Engaging with intra- and inter-agency inquiries and comments on rulemaking initiatives.
• Assessing rulemaking policies for administrative soundness, efficiency, economical operation, and consistency with agency's mission and intent of the law.

Salary

• $120,579 - $185,234/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You must complete a background investigation, credit check, and drug test.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• A two-year trial period may be required.
• Salary payments must be by direct deposit to a financial institution.
• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Attorney Advisor position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Education: Applicants must possess an LL.B. or a J.D. degree. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.)

AND

• Licensure: Applicants must be an active member of the bar, duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the U.S., or the District of Columbia. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your first license and the State from which it was issued.)

AND

FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL:

• Specialized Experience: Applicants must have two full years (24 months) of professional legal experience that includes the following:

1. Analyzing complex legal questions and factual immigration issues for use in the review, interpretation, and application of immigration law;
2. 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
3. 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: Applicants must have three full years (36 months) of professional legal experience that includes the following:

1. Evaluating and identifying potential rulemaking or other large-scale policy initiatives that promote agency policy objectives and address operational concerns, legal cases or other impacts to the activities of the agency;
2. Conducting comprehensive legal reviews of draft regulations, policy directives, and operational concepts in order to provide substantive and procedural advice that will resolve impediments to the agency's ability to lawfully execute its mission; AND
3. Providing sound recommendations in response to a wide range of questions of immigration law and policy involved in the operations of the Agency and the effect of such operations on other activities, Government agencies, industry, and the general public

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your assessment questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal grade level(s) held, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

Other Information 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 claim their status when completing their application in the online application process and attach supporting documentation. (See "Required Documents" section.) Conditions of Employment: Only U.S. Citizens or Nationals are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ applicants, both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, whose job location is with the U.S., must meet the residency requirement. For a total of three (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: 1) resided in the U.S., 2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving oversees. Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package by the closing date of this announcement, which includes:

1. Your Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional.
2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire.
3. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable:

• Veterans' Preference documentation (DD-214 (Member 4 copy), dated VA Letter, SF-15)
• Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.

Note: Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your Resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MMYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name, position title, grade level(s) held, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

You must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/26/2025, the closing date of the announcement.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the assessment questionnaire, which can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12798278.
• Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
• It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
• To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Fadumo.Mohamed@usdoj.gov. You must submit a complete application by the close of the announcement.