Job Summary

Organizational Location: These positions are located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) District Court Litigation Division (DCLD) in Los Angeles, CA and Washington, D.C. This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Job Description

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. District Court Litigation Division (DCLD) Minimum Qualifications for GS-07: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service that included experience such as: Conducting research to assist with identifying factual and legal issues; OR Extracting data from manuals, directives, court reports. appellate records, or legal publications; OR Assisting with reviewing cases to determine the need for additional data from claimants, officials, or attorneys. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify for the GS-09 level. To qualify based on education you must have: Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. OR Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). Minimum Qualifications for GS-09: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that included experience such as: Conducting research to identify and analyze factual and legal issues and relevant evidence to prepare for cases; OR Extracting and analyzing data from manuals, directives, court reports. appellate records, or legal publications; OR Preparing drafts of briefs, other litigation papers, or reports outlining case precedents. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify for the GS-09 level. To qualify based on education you must have: Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Minimum Qualifications for GS-11: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service that included experience such as: Assisting in collection, review, and summarization of facts, law, and special circumstances relating to administrative tort claims filed against agencies for attorneys; OR Receiving, analyzing, and recommending changes to practices in processing claims based upon research into emerging precedents or legal theories to Senior Paralegal Specialists; OR Preparing responses to discovery requests, dispositive motions, settlements, and charges for disciplinary and adverse actions to assist attorneys in case work. OR Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify for the GS-11 level. To qualify based on education you must have: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR Three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. Minimum Qualifications for GS-12: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that included experience such as: Collecting, organizing, reviewing, and summarizing facts, law and special circumstances relating to administrative tort claims filed against agency for attorneys; OR Receiving, analyzing, and recommending changes to practices in processing claims based upon research of precedents or legal theories; OR Preparing responses to requests regarding discovery, dispositive motions, settlements, and charges for disciplinary and adverse actions to assist attorneys in case work.; OR Preparing documents for signature by attorneys after incorporating legal analyses and citations of precedent case law. No educational substitution at GS-12 level