Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

The Attorney Advisor will be responsible for:

• Providing legal services in the interpretation and application of U.S. immigration law and applicable statutes, executive orders, directives, regulations, administrative rulings, and court decisions in accordance with Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the United States Code (U.S.C.), and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
• Researching legal issues, preparing opinions, recommendations, and legal documents within area of responsibility, advising officials and preparing draft orders for Administrative Law Judge, Immigration Judge, or Appellate Immigration Judge review.
• Exercising independent discretion and judgment in the preparation of necessary legal documents and the development of conclusions and recommendations.
• Monitoring and examining formal filings for legal sufficiency and reviewing submissions from party representatives to ensure procedural requirements are met.
• Developing and preparing interpretive and administrative documents to implement the statutes and regulations applicable to various aspects of immigration law.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Employment is contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Security clearance may be required.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• A two year trial period will be required.
• Salary payments must be by direct deposit to a financial institution.
• Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• Moving and Relocation Expenses are not authorized.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Attorney Advisor (General) position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Education: Applicants must possess an LL.B. or a J.D. degree. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.)

AND

• Licensure: Applicants must be an active member of the bar, duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the U.S., or the District of Columbia. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your first license and the State from which it was issued.)

AND

Experience:

For the GS-12 Level: Applicants must have one year (12 months/52 weeks) of post J.D. or LL.B. professional legal experience that includes the following:

Qualifying professional legal experience includes: (1) Monitoring and examining formal filings for legal sufficiency and reviewing submissions from party representatives to ensure procedural requirements are met; (2) Developing and preparing interpretive and administrative documents under relevant statutes and regulations; and (3) Demonstrating a commitment to personal and organizational success.

NOTE: Qualifying experience is calculated only after receipt of J.D. or LL.B.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your assessment questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your Resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MMYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name, position title, grade level(s) held, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

Writing Sample: In addition to the above-stated qualifications, applicants must submit a writing sample that demonstrates their ability to author legal documents to be considered for this position. Only the first 7 pages will be reviewed.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your resume and supporting documents will be measured according to the experience and education qualifications above.

Attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying Veterans' Preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service. However, if you are eligible for Veterans' Preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation. Your application will be evaluated and assessed based upon the following competencies:

• Administrative Law
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
• Attention to detail
• Written communication
• Oral communication

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions.

Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Candidates with incomplete application packages will not be reviewed.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 02/24/2026, the closing date of this announcement, which includes:

1. Your Resume showing post J.D. or LL.B. professional legal experience; cover letter optional. You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

• Official position title,
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (including month and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

2. A complete Assessment Questionnaire.
3. Writing Sample only the first 7 pages will be reviewed.
4.Other Supporting Documents, if applicable:

• Veterans' Preference documentation (DD-214 (Member 4 copy), dated VA Letter, SF-15)
• Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.

Note: Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your Resume must include:

• From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MMYYY or MM/YYYY to Present);
• agency/employer name, position title, grade level(s) held, if applicable;
• hours, if less than full-time;
• and duties performed.

In addition, any experience on less than a full-time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

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.

Next steps

Additional locations