The Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) Branch is responsible for the nationwide coordination of all civil immigration litigation before the federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals. OIL has two sections: the General Litigation and Appeals Section (OIL-GLA) and District Court National Security Section (OIL-DNS).
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-JD (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. - GS-12 - minimum 1 year of post J.D. experience - GS-13 - minimum 1.5 years post-JD legal experience - GS-14 - minimum 2.5 years post-JD legal experience - GS-15 - 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 trial work. Judicial clerkship experience 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.
OIL-DNS attorneys handle individual and class-based challenges to the Immigration and Nationality Act and its implementing regulations related to National Security. Many of these challenges involve issues of first impression involving constitutional rights and entitlements, statutory interpretation, federal authority over immigration matters, agency rulemaking procedures, and Article III standing. In federal courts around the country, OIL-DNS primarily represents the interests of client agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State. Work includes handling all aspects of trial and appellate practice in all jurisdictions nationwide. The Section's work arises in a variety of immigration contexts, including defense of: de novo lawsuits under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1421(c) and 1447(b), denials and delays of naturalization applications to prevent terrorists from obtaining United States citizenship (and U.S. passports); habeas corpus petitions filed by individuals posing a national security threat; national-security-focused challenges to the denial of applications for adjustment of status and visas under the Administrative Procedure Act; class-action and programmatic challenges to national-security checks and immigration-benefit adjudications; and mandamus challenges to immigrant-benefit application delays involving both overt and non-overt national-security concerns. A critical component of DNS's complex work involves litigation of extraordinary detention authorities to detain suspected or known terrorists presenting unique removal challenges as some of the most dangerous aliens in the United States. This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.