The Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) is responsible for the nationwide coordination of all civil immigration litigation before federal circuit court of appeals and nearly all litigation in the district courts. OIL is comprised of more than 360 attorneys, litigation support, and administrative professionals. The office is led by a Director, three Deputy Directors, and one Associate Director, along with a dynamic group of attorney managers.
Summary
The Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) is responsible for the nationwide coordination of all civil immigration litigation before federal circuit court of appeals and nearly all litigation in the district courts. OIL is comprised of more than 360 attorneys, litigation support, and administrative professionals. The office is led by a Director, three Deputy Directors, and one Associate Director, along with a dynamic group of attorney managers.
The office is led by a Director, three Deputy Directors, and one Associate Director, along with a dynamic group of attorney managers, all who collectively reflect an abiding dedication to public service.
Trial Attorney responsibilities primarily involve: coordinating with the agency clients; crafting litigation strategy; conducting necessary pre-trial work; drafting all complaints, motions, answers, and briefs; participating in hearings, oral arguments, and court-ordered discussions; engaging in settlement talks to advance the government's interests; making determinations about whether to seek panel, en bane, or Supreme Court/cert. review of adverse decisions and substantially participating in further review briefing and argument; and handling attorney's fees litigation. OIL's Trial Attorneys likewise contribute significantly as expert consultants on immigration-related inquiries from Congress and the Department.
OIL's district court litigation often involves high-profile matters, frequently entails short-fuse/emergency, fast-paced temporary restraining order litigation, and ordinarily requires analyzing substantially complex immigration, administrative, statutory interpretation, and constitutional law issues and principles. In contrast, OIL's appellate court litigation entails responding to motions for stays of removal, filing motions for summary affirmance or dismissal, drafting complex appellate briefs, and appearing for oral arguments throughout the nation. Some examples of the Office's current and anticipated litigation include: defense of challenges to the expansion of streamlined expedited removal procedures implicating border security; increased defense of review petitions in the federal courts of appeals stemming from a substantial backlog of immigration court cases and expansion of interior enforcement efforts and that raise novel, difficult issues about criminal and other removal grounds, asylum and protection law, and the availability of relief under the immigration statute; defense of the Administration's immigration initiatives reflected in recent Executive Orders such as efforts designed to secure the border, in partnership with other Division components; defense of habeas petitions challenging immigration custody and immigration detainers, particularly under the recently-enacted Laken Riley Act; litigation involving the administration of temporary employment authorization, foreign worker and investor programs; investigation and litigation of civil actions to revoke naturalization; and defense of mandamus litigation involving alleged delay of agency action and that has increased dramatically over the last several years.
Given the Administration's prioritization and focus on immigration enforcement (reflected in part by several immigration-related Executive Orders signed by the President since January 20), OIL's workload is expected to increase dramatically across most of these categories. The organization works closely with United States Attorney's Offices on immigration related matters, and OIL provides support and counsel to all federal agencies involved in the admission, regulation, and removal of noncitizens under our immigration and nationality statutes, as well as related areas of border enforcement and national security.
This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable
May require completion of a 2-year trial period. (Please refer to the trial period statement under Qualifications.)
Must be able to successfully complete a background investigation and may be required to obtain a clearance.
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.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
Qualifications
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), be a U.S. citizen, and possess at least 1 year post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. The minimum years of post-law degree experience commensurate with the grade level of eligibility is shown below.
Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must have minimum 1.5 years post-JD legal experience.
To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must have minimum 2.5 years post-JD legal experience.
To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have minimum 4 years post-JD legal experience.
Preferred qualifications: Applicants should have excellent writing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills; exhibit good judgment, and have experience in investigations and/or civil litigation. Applicants should demonstrate capability to manage a large, active docket of cases and produce polished work product in accordance with established deadlines. Experience in False Claims Act matters or complex civil litigation is desirable.
Trial Period Statement
As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
your performance and conduct;
the needs and interests of the agency;
whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications
All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Additional information
Veteran Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veterans' preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/.
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 Veterans' 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.pdffor a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s).
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
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 behalffrom 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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicant resumes will be reviewed regularly and issued to hiring officials on a rolling basis. If you are interested in applying, it is recommended that you do so early. Multiple positions will be filled from this announcement. We will accept applications through May 07, 2026. Candidate lists will be generated every two weeks and eligible applications received by the cutoff date will be sent to the selecting official. The cutoff dates to be referred to the selecting official are as follows: 02/12/2026, 02/26/2026, 3/12/2026, 03/26/2026, 4/09/2026, 04/23/2026, 5/07/2026. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications.
Your application will be evaluated by a reviewing panel.
Please Note: The Selecting Official may select additional candidates if more positions become available within 120 days after the closing date of the vacancy.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Cover Letter (highlighting month and year of relevant experience)
Resume (not to exceed 2 pages) - Applicants are encouraged to ensure that work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/07/2026 to receive consideration.
1. Click "Apply Online" to get started.
2. If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one.
3. You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application.
4. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous.
5. You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS.
6. Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options.
7. After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device.
8. If you opt to upload a document directly, click the "Upload" button and select the document on your device, then wait for the upload to finish. Repeat as needed. Documents must be less than 3 MB each and should be in a compatible file format.
9. Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category, and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments.
10. Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit.
11. If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required.
If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side).
Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.
Civil Division
1100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Once the application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All qualified applications will be sent to the hiring official for review. You will be contacted directly if an interview is desired.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Cover Letter (highlighting month and year of relevant experience)
Resume (not to exceed 2 pages) - Applicants are encouraged to ensure that work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/07/2026 to receive consideration.
1. Click "Apply Online" to get started.
2. If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one.
3. You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application.
4. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous.
5. You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS.
6. Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options.
7. After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device.
8. If you opt to upload a document directly, click the "Upload" button and select the document on your device, then wait for the upload to finish. Repeat as needed. Documents must be less than 3 MB each and should be in a compatible file format.
9. Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category, and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments.
10. Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit.
11. If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required.
If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side).
Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.
Civil Division
1100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Once the application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All qualified applications will be sent to the hiring official for review. You will be contacted directly if an interview is desired.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
