Attorney Advisor (Senior Counsel to the Director)

This position is located in the Office of the Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. Incumbent serves as an advisor to the Director providing legal advice and technical assistance on a wide range of matters associated with immigration law and labor law. This is an Excepted Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.

Duties

This position is located in the Office of the Director (OOD). The Office of the Director (OOD) provides leadership and guidance for the agency and includes several supporting programs - the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Planning, Analysis, and Statistics Division (PASD).The incumbent of this position will serve as Counsel to the Director, EOIR in the provision of expert legal advice on the interpretation and application of U.S. Immigration Law and applicable statutes, executive orders, directives, regulations, administrative rulings and court decisions.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Interprets and implements legal and policy determinations of the agency.
• Proposes the development of policies and procedures in response to legal cases or problems that have the effect of substantially broadening or restricting the activities of the agency.
• Provides technical assistance in the development and implementation of procedures to ensure consistency of decisions issued by Immigration Judges.
• Coordinates confidential and sensitive immigration law matters which affect the administration and resources of the agency.
• Provides legal support in the establishment of national-level legal policy on complex and unique questions of law involving issues without legal precedent.
• Generates clarifying guidance on extremely complex and difficult immigration law matters in the drafting, interpretation, or application of legislation, regulations, contracts, orders, decisions, opinions, or other legal instruments.

Salary

• $167,603 - $195,200/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 will be required.
• You must file a Financial Disclosure.
• Salary payments must be by direct deposit to a financial institution.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Attorney Advisor (Senior Counsel to the Director) 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

Required experience:

FOR THE GS-15 LEVEL:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have four full years (48 months) of post J.D. or LL.B professional legal experience that includes the following:

1. Providing legal advice on the interpretation of laws or on proposed changes in legislation, policy, and regulations directly to senior management and organizational leaders;
2. Providing legal counsel and advice on labor and employment law matters;
3. Analyzing the potential impact of proposed or existing policies on the organizations programs; and
4. Negotiating with top administrative personnel of the agency on a range of legal policy questions pertaining and /or related to immigration law and procedure.

(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

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-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.

Writing Sample: In addition to the above-stated qualifications, applicants must submit a writing sample that demonstrates their ability to author legal documents to be considered for this position. Only the first ten (10) pages will be reviewed.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

Education Are you using education to qualify? Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Applicants can verify accreditation by clicking here. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. (Note: If you are selected for this position based on education, an official transcript will be required, prior to your first day.) You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Translated transcripts are required. For further information, click here. Other Information 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. Additional positions maybe filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: 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. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Teresa Ngoumou. Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/26/2025, the closing date of this announcement, which includes:

1. Your Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional.
2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire.
3. 3. Writing Sample only the first 10 (ten) pages will be reviewed.
4. 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 08/26/2025, 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 occupational questionnaire, which can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12778716.
* 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.