The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is seeking multiple attorneys to join our legal team as Counsel in the National Security Law Division (NSLD).
If you are a passionate legal professional and ready to serve your country, join OPLA and become a vital part of the Department of Homeland Security!
NOTE: Applicants currently serving in attorney positions for ICE cannot use this announcement for reassignment.
Summary
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is seeking multiple attorneys to join our legal team as Counsel in the National Security Law Division (NSLD).
If you are a passionate legal professional and ready to serve your country, join OPLA and become a vital part of the Department of Homeland Security!
NOTE: Applicants currently serving in attorney positions for ICE cannot use this announcement for reassignment.
OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide. OPLA serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), litigating cases involving criminal aliens, terrorists, human rights abusers, and aliens posing a threat to our homeland security. OPLA also provides specialized legal advice and a full range of legal services to all ICE directorates and program offices. Specifically, divisions within OPLA's Enforcement, General Law, and Litigation (EG&L), through close client engagement, advance ICE's homeland security and public safety mission by providing expert legal advice and guidance to ICE personnel enforcing our nation's immigration, customs, and criminal law and policies. EG&L divisions also advise and provide prudential counsel to an array of operational and policy clients within ICE on contracts, fiscal, and information law issues, as well as ethics matters.
NSLD attorneys provide nationwide oversight and support for OPLA's litigation of national security issues before EOIR. NSLD coordinates with and provides support and guidance to the ICE attorneys litigating the removal proceedings of individuals of national security concern, including terrorists, foreign intelligence agents, and export violators. NSLD collaborates with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Intelligence Community, and the Department of State, as well as the National Security, Civil, and Criminal Divisions of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on immigration issues involving national security matters. In addition, NSLD provides support in criminal prosecutions and federal litigation involving immigration-related national security issues, including developing case strategies, reviewing pleadings, substantive motions, and briefing papers, and providing litigation recommendations. NSLD frequently engages with ICE leadership, DOJ, and DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters attorneys to coordinate the successful resolution of national security cases. NSLD also provides administrative law and federal litigation support to the HSI Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which was established by Congress in response to the 9/11 attacks. SEVP provides integrity to the U.S. immigration system by collecting, maintaining, and analyzing information so legitimate nonimmigrant students enter the United States, and ensures that the academic institutions accepting nonimmigrant students are certified and complying with federal regulations.
Selected attorneys will immediately be given significant responsibilities and will be expected to craft persuasive, legally supportable positions to address the needs of agency operational components. Selected attorneys will be expected to routinely provide timely legal opinions to ICE officers and agents, division management, and leadership within OPLA, ICE, and the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters. Selected attorneys will also provide litigation support to DOJ.
OPLA will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations when appropriate. If reasonable accommodation is required for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.
You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug test for federal employment.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
You must have relevant experience (see How You Will Be Evaluated and Qualifications tabs).
You must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
You may be required to serve a two-year trial period if the requirement has not been met.
You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
Qualifications
Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Applicants should be able to efficiently produce quality legal analyses of complex and novel issues, exercise sound legal judgment, prioritize competing assignments, and work effectively independently, as part of a team, and across work units. Applicants should be detail-oriented and have a strong interest in supporting and providing stellar client services to program offices, including law enforcement officers, policymakers, attorneys, and agency senior leadership, and must be able to tailor communications to a particular audience. Applicants should be able to take initiative and work in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner.
Applicants should possess the following characteristics and competencies: integrity, sound professional judgment, organizational skills, decisiveness, initiative, stellar client services, the ability to function independently and cooperatively, and superior written and oral advocacy skills.
Bar Membership: You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last five years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u), and Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Education
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree. Please see Required Documents for more information.
A student loan repayment incentive may be available; if such an incentive is available and is authorized, a service agreement will be required.
Additional information
E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.
Bargaining Unit Status: This is a non-bargaining position.
Promotion Potential: This position has promotion potential to the GS-15 level. When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform duties at a higher level and administrative approval. Further, promotion from the GS-14 level to the GS-15 level is subject to OPLA's internal guidance.
Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the Excepted Service; however, OPLA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Financial Disclosure: If you are hired, you may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days after appointment.
Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment, you must complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Background Investigation: DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants for this position must undergo a background investigation and successfully obtain and maintain a security clearance at the [Top Secret/Secret] level as a condition of placement into this position. This process may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support, and tax obligations, and a review of certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
Drug Test: Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace. All applicants tentatively selected for employment are subject to pre-employment drug testing, and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative result.
One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy 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.
All information and documents submitted as set forth in the Required Documents section will be reviewed to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements.
Qualified candidates will be rated by comparing each candidate's qualifications to the skills and experience pertinent to the position to be filled. Experience, education, training, awards, and performance will be considered. An applicant need not have specific knowledge and experience regarding each item listed in the Qualifications section to qualify for the position.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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.
You must include all required documentation, as set forth below, with your application package before the closing date. No extensions will be granted. Failure to provide all the required information as listed in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect your overall rating.
Cover Letter: Your cover letter should detail the knowledge, skills, and abilities that qualify you for the position, consistent with this announcement. It will be assessed as part of your application package. Your cover letter must also include your full name; home address; home or work e-mail address(es); phone number(s) where we may contact you; name of law school, year of graduation, and year admitted to the bar.
Résumé: Your resume must include announcement number (DE-13115663-27-DM), education, work experience, training, awards, and work experience. For each work experience listed, please include job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, and starting and ending dates (MM/YY). Please indicate whether we may contact your current supervisor. Note: USAJOBS restricts resume submissions to two pages. Be sure your resume meets this requirement before applying.
Bar Membership/Certificate of Good Standing: Submit a copy of your bar card, certificate of good standing, or other documentary evidence to prove that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, a U.S. a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
If you are a current or former federal employee: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information about your most recent political appointment: position title, type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), agency, and beginning and ending dates of appointment.
Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable): You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans' information.
You may be asked to provide law school transcripts, writing sample, and/or a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/30/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
If you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.
Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. If you need further assistance, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have successfully submitted your application. Applications will be reviewed for completeness. Failure to provide all required documentation as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating. Eligible applicants will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration as vacancies become available. Highly qualified applicants may be contacted for an interview. If you are selected, you will receive a tentative offer. Upon acceptance, the drug test and the suitability/background investigation will be initiated.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and OMB plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must include all required documentation, as set forth below, with your application package before the closing date. No extensions will be granted. Failure to provide all the required information as listed in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect your overall rating.
Cover Letter: Your cover letter should detail the knowledge, skills, and abilities that qualify you for the position, consistent with this announcement. It will be assessed as part of your application package. Your cover letter must also include your full name; home address; home or work e-mail address(es); phone number(s) where we may contact you; name of law school, year of graduation, and year admitted to the bar.
Résumé: Your resume must include announcement number (DE-13115663-27-DM), education, work experience, training, awards, and work experience. For each work experience listed, please include job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, and starting and ending dates (MM/YY). Please indicate whether we may contact your current supervisor. Note: USAJOBS restricts resume submissions to two pages. Be sure your resume meets this requirement before applying.
Bar Membership/Certificate of Good Standing: Submit a copy of your bar card, certificate of good standing, or other documentary evidence to prove that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, a U.S. a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
If you are a current or former federal employee: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information about your most recent political appointment: position title, type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), agency, and beginning and ending dates of appointment.
Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable): You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans' information.
You may be asked to provide law school transcripts, writing sample, and/or a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/30/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
If you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application.
Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. If you need further assistance, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have successfully submitted your application. Applications will be reviewed for completeness. Failure to provide all required documentation as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating. Eligible applicants will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration as vacancies become available. Highly qualified applicants may be contacted for an interview. If you are selected, you will receive a tentative offer. Upon acceptance, the drug test and the suitability/background investigation will be initiated.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and OMB plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
