BOARD MEMBER, BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS
EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: EOIR-08-0122
About the Office: The Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking an individual to serve as a Member of the Board of Immigration Appeals.
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) is one of three adjudicative components of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Under authority delegated by the Attorney General of the United States, EOIR interprets and administers federal immigration laws through the conduct of immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings.
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals of decisions made by immigration judges or certain officers of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Decisions are binding, unless modified or overruled by the Attorney General or a federal court.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: Board Members hear appeals of decisions made by immigration judges or certain officers of the DHS. Central to the Board’s role is the issuance of precedent decisions interpreting complex immigration laws and providing nationwide guidance to the immigration courts, DHS, and the private bar. The BIA’s decisions are binding on all immigration judges and on DHS unless modified or overruled by the Attorney General or a federal court. The majority of appeals reaching the Board involve orders of removal and applications for relief from removal. Other matters before the Board include petitions to classify the status of alien relatives for the issuance of preference immigrant visas, fines imposed upon carriers for the violation of immigration laws, and motions for reopening and reconsideration of decisions previously rendered. Generally, the Board does not conduct courtroom proceedings - it decides appeals by conducting a “paper review” of cases. In addition, the Board is responsible for the recognition of organizations and accreditation of representatives requesting permission to practice before DHS, the immigration courts, and the Board.
Qualifications: You must possess an LL.B. or a J.D. degree and be duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of a state, a territory, or the District of Columbia; be a U.S. citizen; and have a minimum of 7 years of relevant post-bar admission legal experience, at least one year (52 weeks) of which must be equivalent to the GS-15 level of the Federal service.
How You Will Be Evaluated: You will be evaluated on the basis of the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education.
Preferred Qualifications: Qualified candidates must possess the following preferred qualifications. Possession of these qualifications must be clearly documented in your application package and should be addressed separately:
1. Comprehensive knowledge of the field of immigration law, including the Immigration and Nationality Act, regulations, and administrative and judicial case law, or the proven ability to become fully knowledgeable about a complex field of the law and to apply that knowledge to specific cases.
2. Excellent analytical, decision-making, and writing ability;
3. Proven ability to manage cases; and
4. Proven ability or potential to serve as an effective and collegial decision-maker when dealing with a large caseload.
Salary Information: $158,500.00 USD per year
Location: Falls Church, Virginia.
Submission Process: A complete application will include:
A. A résumé, or Optional Form 612, Optional Application for Federal Employment. If you submit a résumé, it must include the following information: your full name, mailing address (with ZIP code), day and evening phone numbers (with area code), social security number, country of citizenship, the highest Federal civilian grade held (also give job series and dates held). You must clearly indicate possession of a Law Degree and any bar membership(s) and the date(s) of bar admission on your application. Applications must contain the announcement number, title, and grade of the job for which you are applying. A completed OF-612 will ensure the required information is provided. Do not send position descriptions, manuscripts, or other unsolicited material.
B. A Supplemental Applicant Statement which addresses EACH preferred qualification individually. This statement must provide examples of your experience, training, and accomplishments which are relevant to the qualifications.
C. A writing sample.
D. Letters of recommendation, and additional references from individuals who can speak to your overall qualifications based upon personal knowledge.
E. A copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
F. A recent supervisory appraisal of performance or, if none exists, a statement to that effect.
Your complete package should be mailed to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Human Resources Staff, Administration Division
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2300
Falls Church, VA 22041
Telefaxed copies of résumés/applications or other electronic copies will not be considered unless specifically authorized.
Applications received after Oct. 3, 2008 will not be considered.
Internet Sites: www.usdoj.gov/eoir
Other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html
Department Policies:
Equal Employment Opportunity
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.
Security Clearance PoliciesIt 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. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans’ Preference
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans’ 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.