General Attorney

Duties OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide. In addition to Headquarters in Washington, D.C., there are 143 offices located within nine Regions throughout the United States. Pursuant to statute, OPLA serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, litigating cases involving criminal aliens, terrorists, human‑rights violators, and other priority aliens. OPLA also provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices. ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor's (OPLA) Executive Communications Unit (ECU) is seeking one or more attorneys for a Counsel position in Washington, D.C. ECU coordinates and processes the legal advice provided to ICE program offices and other stakeholders on a wide array of legal issues and agency matters. Assignments within ECU are fast‑paced and high‑profile. Key responsibilities include the following: Assess and manage the assignment and workflow of tasks issued by ICE Office of the Director, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the DHS Office of the General Counsel (OGC), OPLA leadership, and OPLA management officials, often within short deadlines. Items include requests for legal review, executive correspondence, agency responses to congressional and media inquiries, changes to proposed policies and rulemaking, senior‑leadership briefing materials, requests for legal opinions, and information related to ICE's immigration enforcement and other authorities. Manage specific portfolios, including general audits with the ICE Audit Liaison Office and audits by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Coordinate responses to congressional notices and updates, congressional private bills, and Questions for the Record (QRF). Recommend and develop efficiencies in document management and tasking clearance procedures to ensure consistency and quality of internal and external communications. Other special projects and initiatives as assigned by OPLA Leadership. The work is fast‑paced and requires the ability to: Work closely and diplomatically with attorneys and leadership in other OPLA divisions, and staff in other ICE program offices. Prioritize multiple assignments with competing deadlines. Exercise sound judgment and issue‑spotting in a wide array of complex legal matters. Work effectively both independently and as part of a team. Take initiative in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner. Be detail‑oriented, accurate, and accountable. Quickly synthesize information and provide accurate and succinct summaries and briefings to OPLA management and senior leadership regarding complex taskings. Requirements Conditions of employment You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen for federal employment. If you are a male born after 12/31/59, you must certify registration with the Selective Service. You must have relevant experience. 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, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Qualifications 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 diverse 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 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, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Background Investigation: You 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. Drug Test: All tentatively selected applicants are subject to pre‑employment drug testing; a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative result. E‑Verify: DHS uses E‑Verify to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Veterans' Preference: OPLA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Education Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or L.L.M. degree. #J-18808-Ljbffr