Summary Join the fast-paced federal litigation practitioners of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor's (OPLA) District Court Litigation Division (DCLD) and leverage your legal experience to protect the homeland. Applicants should indicate their location(s) preference in their cover letter. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Responsibilities OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide. OPLA provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices and serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Selected attorneys will primarily serve as DHS's agency counsel by representing agency interests in civil litigation and through the adjudication of administrative tort claims. DCLD attorneys work closely with the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ), other DHS component legal offices, and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) entities, such as the Civil Division-including the Office of Immigration Litigation and the Torts Branch-as well as U.S. Attorney's Offices throughout the nation. DCLD attorneys: Manage federal civil litigation against ICE and cases that otherwise impact ICE equities. Assist ICE personnel, OGC HQ, and DOJ in all aspects of federal civil litigation, including the development of legal strategy and arguments, motion practice, discovery, settlement negotiations, trials, and appeals in cases ranging from common-law tort suits, lawsuits under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), and suits seeking injunctive or declaratory relief under the Constitution, including class actions. Adjudicate administrative claims for personal injuries and property damage pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680. Provide oral and written guidance to ICE leadership and employees, and conduct training regarding litigation risks. Represent ICE's interests in litigation-related discussions with other agencies and DHS components. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on 05/18/2026. Please note that qualification claims will be subject to verification. In light of the nature of DCLD's work, attorney assignments are fast-paced, high-profile, and must be addressed in real-time. Attorneys selected in response to this announcement will be given significant responsibilities immediately. Selectees must possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies: Ability to prioritize multiple assignments effectively Exercise sound legal and practical judgment Efficiently produce high-quality legal analyses of complex and novel issues Work effectively in a fast-paced environment, both independently and as part of a team Demonstrate initiative and the ability to work in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner Bar Membership: You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the 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 5 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/or 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. Education Applicants must be graduates of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree. A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required. Additional Information E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, 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. 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. 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 must undergo a background investigation and successfully obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Secret level as a condition of placement into this position. This 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. Reasonable Accommodation: OPLA will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations when appropriate. If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed in this announcement.
