ATTORNEY ADVISOR EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW FALLS CHURCH, VA VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: EOIR-08-0135

ATTORNEY ADVISOR
EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW
FALLS CHURCH, VA
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: EOIR-08-0135

About the Office: The Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking an individual to serve as a Attorney Advisor for the Office of General Counsel, located in Falls Church, VA. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is responsible for adjudicating immigration cases. Specifically, under delegated authority from the Attorney General, EOIR interprets and administers the Federal immigration laws by conducting Immigration Court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings. EOIR consists of three components: The Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, which is responsible for managing the numerous Immigration Courts located throughout the United States where Immigration Judges adjudicate individual cases; the Board of Immigration Appeals, which primarily conducts appellate reviews of these Immigration Judge decisions; and the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, which adjudicates immigration related cases. EOIR is committed to providing the fair, expeditious, and uniform application of our Nation’s immigration laws in all cases.

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The Incumbent works on conflict of interest, financial disclosure, and other ethics issues involving the government ethics laws and regulations applicable to Federal employees. Incumbent prepares written opinions and memoranda addressing extremely complex and difficult law matters for issuance by the General Counsel, providing interpretations applicable government ethics laws. Independently analyzes public financial disclosure reports submitted by senior agency officials and immigration judges, to determine whether information in each report reveals any potential conflict of interest under applicable laws and regulations. Conducts research on legal issues. Prepares ethics training materials and trains agency officials on various ethics topics involving EOIR employees. The incumbent provides support to attorneys at the Department of Justice and/or affected judicial and administrative proceedings involving the ethics laws and regulations. Formulates legal arguments, collects administrative record materials, and prepares affidavits and declarations and discovery materials.

Qualifications: Applicants must have an LL.B. or a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar and must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory or the District of Columbia; 2) Applicants must be U.S. citizens; 3) Applicants must also have a minimum of 3 years of professional legal experience to qualify for the GS-13 level; 4 years of professional legal experience to qualify for the GS-14 level; and 5 years of professional legal experience to qualify for the GS-15 level. Theses qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

1) Ability to perform legal research; 2) Ability to communicate in writing; 3) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, managers, and other federal agency personnel; 4) Knowledge of Confidential Financial Disclosure Report and Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report review process; 5) Knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations relating to government ethics.

Travel: No travel is required.

Salary Information: Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is GS-13: $82,961 - $107,854; GS-14: $98,033 - $127,442; GS-15: $115,317 - $149,000 PA.

Location: The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is located in Falls Church, Virginia one mile west of the I-395 King Street exit, near restaurants, fitness centers, and shopping. EOIR is easily accessible via Metro Bus to and from the Pentagon. Employees are encouraged to carpool and apply for free parking. There is also a free shuttle providing transportation to and from the Pentagon City Metro stop. Employees using public transportation to commute to and from work are authorized a transit subsidy. Employees may join the Department of Justice Leave Bank Program. EOIR employees also have immediate access to a Health Unit and a Federal Credit Union.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Application Process and Deadline Date: Applicants may choose one of three job application procedures. You must submit: 1) an OF-612, Optional Application for Federal Employment; 2) a résumé (please note that there are minimum requirements for resume content which are described in OPM Pamphlet OF-510, Applying for a Federal Job (copies are available in most Federal agencies); or 3) a Standard Form 171, Application for Federal Employment.

In addition, you are required to submit a separate detailed narrative statement (describing experience as it relates to the qualification requirements listed above) to:

U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Human Resources Staff, Administrative Division
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2300
Falls Church, VA 22041
Attn: Inez Patten

Telefaxed copies of résumé/application or other electronic copies will not be considered unless specifically authorized.

Applications sent using government paid postage will not be considered.

Please Note: All applications must contain the announcement number, title, and grade(s) of the job for which you are applying. Applications must also contain your full name, mailing address (with Zip code), day and evening phone numbers (with area code), social security number, any other country of citizenship (if applicable), date and state of bar admission, and the highest Federal civilian grade held (also give job series and dates held).

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE BY THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON September 30, 2008.

Internet Sites: http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir. Other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html

Department Policies: Equal Employment Opportunity and Security Clearance Policies.

The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department’s mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans’s preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans’s preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.