Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

The Chief Administrative Law Judge (Chief ALJ) manages the workload and adjudicatory hearings process relative to employer sanctions, immigration-related unfair employment practices, and immigration-related document fraud cases which may include developing and disseminating policy and providing oversight between all the levels of administrative law judges. The Chief ALJ also acts as a presiding officer with respect to proceedings, presiding over hearings, writing opinions and making decisions, and performing ancillary duties. Hearings range from conducting prehearing conferences to simplify the issues in the case to conducting formal hearings on the record in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Administrative Procedure Act, and the rules of practice promulgated by the agency.

As a presiding officer, the Chief ALJ determines who is entitled to participate and to what extent; admits evidence into the record or rejects proffered documents and oral testimony; and considers proposed findings and conclusions and briefs submitted by the parties.

The Chief ALJ issues initial decisions and orders in adjudicatory proceedings which become final decisions of the Department of Justice unless administratively reviewed or appealed to the appropriate United States Court of Appeals. Final orders are issued following settlement by the parties, after hearing, pursuant to dispositive motions, or upon waiver of a hearing. As a judge under the Administrative Procedure Act, the Chief ALJ provides a complete formal record of the hearing and issues formal written opinions.

The Chief ALJ also performs a range of supervisory duties including overseeing day-to-day operations of the ALJs and ALJ unit support staff; hiring and monitoring of staff performance and determination of performance goals and/or benchmarks consistent with applicable laws, regulations and operational needs; identifying training; and initiating award recommendations and corrective actions as needed.

In addition to performing the duties described above, the Chief ALJ is also qualified to conduct, and may be assigned to conduct the following proceedings as an immigration judge: removal, discretionary relief, rescission of adjustment status, claims of persecution, stays of removal, and bond and detention. In accordance with section 101(b)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Act), the incumbent is an attorney appointed by the Attorney General as an administrative judge who is qualified to conduct specified classes of proceedings, including removal proceedings under section 240 of the Act, and to preside at formal, quasi-judicial hearings to determine the issues arising in exclusion, deportation, and related proceedings. As such, the ALJ must have expert knowledge in immigration and employment law, including the relevant statutes and regulations, precedential decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, and decisions of Circuit Courts.

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.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• Relevant experience (see qualifications below.)
• Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• If selected, you must file a financial disclosure statement in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
• You must receive your Federal salary by Direct Deposit (to a financial institution of their choosing).
• Conversion to permanent position is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a probationary period and appointment by the Attorney General.
• Moving and Relocation Expense are not authorized.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Chief Administrative Law Judge position, applicants must meet all of the following minimum qualifications:

• Education: Applicants must possess a LL.B., J.D., or LL.M. 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: Applicants must have seven (7) years of post-bar admission experience as a licensed attorney preparing for, participating in, and/or appealing formal hearings or trials involving litigation and/or administrative law at the Federal, State or local level. Qualifying litigation experience involves cases in which a complaint was filed with a court, or a charging document (e.g., indictment or information) was issued by a court, a grand jury, or appropriate military authority. Qualifying administrative law experience involves cases in which a formal procedure was initiated by a governmental administrative body.

NOTE: Qualifying experience is calculated only after bar admission.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-MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications stated above will be further evaluated to determine those who are best qualified. This determination will be based, in part, on the following Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs), which need to be addressed as part of the application package.

1. Ability to demonstrate the appropriate temperament to serve as a judge.
2. Litigation or adjudication experience, preferably in a high volume judicial or administrative context.
3. Experience conducting administrative hearings or adjudicating administrative cases.
4. Experience handling complex legal issues.
5. Knowledge of immigration laws, employment law, and administrative law and procedures.
6. Experience serving in a managerial or supervisory capacity, preferably of judges, attorneys or other legal professionals.

Applicants are required to address each of the six (6) QRFs in narrative form, to the best of the applicant's ability. A response stating only that the applicant does not have experience will not be considered as addressing the affected QRF. Applicants that do not have experience within a specific factor should instead discuss a similar skill/ability/knowledge/experience for evaluation. Failure to address each factor at this minimum level will result in an ineligible determination. The QRFs must be addressed on a separate document which indicates the number of the specific QRF you are addressing. Applicants should be thorough in addressing the QRFs. For example, applicants addressing QRF #2 (litigation or adjudication experience) should discuss the approximate number of cases or matters handled in a given period of time, the applicant's specific role (e.g. adjudicator, first chair, co-counsel, responsible for the written brief only, etc.), and the length of time involved in a given role (e.g. lead counsel in 20 immigration proceedings in 10 years). Applicants should also include specific examples of the types of cases (asylum application, plea, settlement, bench trial, jury trial, etc.), the number of court and administrative appearances made in those cases, and the case dispositions (ruling on the merits, plea or similar resolution, settlement, trial, jury trial, etc.) Conclusory statements (such as "the applicant has been involved in a substantial amount of litigation") without further elaboration will receive little or no weight in the evaluation of the QRFs.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 02/18/2026, the closing date of this announcement, which includes:

1. Your Resume documenting seven (7) years of litigation or adjudication experience since being admitted to the bar.

   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-A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

2. A complete online Assessment Questionnaire.
3. Document(s)addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs). (See "How You Will Be Evaluated" section.)
4. Writing Sample demonstrating your ability to author legal documents.(One (1) document, not to exceed 10 pages; an excerpt of a longer document is acceptable.)
5. Current or former Federal employees must provide copies of their most recent Performance Appraisal and their latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
6. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable:
   • Veterans' Preference Documentation: Although the veterans' preference point system does not apply to this position, we accept preference claims and adjudicate such claims per the documentation provided. Note: If claiming 5-point veterans' preference, include a DD-214 or statement of service. If claiming 10-point veterans' preference, include an SF-15 and documentation required by that form, VA or military letter dated 1991 or later, and DD-214.
   • Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.

A cover letter is optional but encouraged.

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-MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal 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 submit the documents listed above with your application package will result in your application package being removed from consideration.

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