General Attorney (District Court Litigation Division)

Join the fast-paced federal litigation practitioners of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor's (OPLA) District Court Litigation Division (DCLD) and leverage your legal experience to protect the homeland. Applicants should indicate their location(s) preference in their cover letter. NOTE: Applicants currently serving in attorney positions for ICE cannot use this announcement for reassignment.

OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide. OPLA provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices, including legal advice and prudential counsel to ICE personnel. Selected attorneys will primarily serve as DHS's agency counsel, representing agency interests in civil litigation by coordinating with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) who represents the agency in court, and through the direct adjudication of administrative tort claims. DCLD attorneys work closely with the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ), other DHS component legal offices, and DOJ entities, such as Civil Division, including the Office of Immigration Litigation, Torts Branch, as well as U.S. Attorney's Offices throughout the nation. DCLD attorneys: Manage federal civil litigation against ICE and cases that otherwise impact ICE equities by coordinating with DOJ who represents ICE as trial counsel; Assist ICE personnel, OGC HQ, and DOJ in all aspects of federal civil litigation, including: the development of legal strategy and arguments, motion practice, discovery, settlement negotiations, trials, and appeals in cases ranging from common-law torts suits, lawsuits under and Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), and suits seeking injunctive or declaratory relief under the Constitution, including class actions; Adjudicate administrative claims for personal injuries and property damage pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680; Provide oral and written guidance to ICE leadership and employees, and conduct training regarding litigation risks; and Represent ICE's interests in litigation-related discussions with other agencies and DHS components. OPLA will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations when appropriate. If reasonable accommodation is required for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree. Please see Required Documents for more information. A student loan repayment incentive may be available; if such an incentive is available and is authorized, a service agreement will be required.