Assistant Chief Counsel

Conditions of Employment:

You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen for federal employment.

If you are a male born after 12/31/59, you must certify registration with the Selective Service.

You must have relevant experience (see Qualifications below) You must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement. You may be required to serve a two-year trial period, if the requirement has not been met.

• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Qualifications Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on 12/01/2023. Please note that qualification claims will be subject to verification.
• Applicants should possess an ability to efficiently produce quality legal analyses of complex and novel issues, exercise sound legal judgment, be detail oriented, prioritize competing assignments, and work effectively independently, as part of a team, and across work units.
• Applicants should have a strong interest in supporting and providing stellar client services to diverse program offices including law enforcement officers, policymakers, attorneys, and agency senior leadership, and must be able to tailor communications to a particular audience.
• Applicants should be able to demonstrate an ability to take initiative and work in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner.
• Applicants should possess the following characteristics and competencies: integrity, sound professional judgment, organizational skills, decisiveness, initiative, stellar client services, the ability to function independently and cooperatively, and superior written and oral advocacy skills.
  • To qualify for the GS-11: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school and be an active member of a bar in good standing.
  • To qualify for the GS-12: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing and have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
  • To qualify for the GS-13: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing and have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
  • To qualify for the GS-14: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing and have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.
    • Examples of specialized experience include: Skills in litigating cases before courts and must demonstrate proficiency in objecting to the admission of excludable evidence during trial; Trial advocacy skills, including proficiency in the development of case strategies, direct examination and cross-examination of witnesses, and oral argument; Experience involving contact with government witnesses, immigration judges, and opposing counsel in trying cases before an immigration court; Reviewing memoranda of understanding, applications for search and/or arrest warrants, personal assistance agreements, requests for certification and re- certification of undercover operations, affidavits in support of wire-taps, and related matters of investigatory concern to ICE officers and agents; Outstanding written, oral advocacy and judgment skills; proficient organizational, communication and interpersonal relationship skills and the ability to function independently and as part of a team.

Required Documents

• • You must include all required documentation, as set forth below, with your application package before the closing date. No extensions will be granted. Failure to provide all of the required information as listed in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect your overall rating.
  • Cover Letter: Your cover letter must discuss your interest in the position; your pertinent knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience; and your personal characteristics and competencies that qualify you for the position as detailed in the Duties and Qualifications sections of this announcement. Your cover letter must also include your full name; home address; home or work e-mail address(es); phone number(s) where we may contact you (cell, work, and/or home); name of law school, year of graduation, and year admitted to the bar. Resume: Your resume must include announcement number (DE-12184438-24-LP), education, work experience, training, awards, and work experience. For each work experience listed, please include job title, duties, employer's name, employer's telephone number, employer's address, and starting and ending dates (MM/YY). Please indicate whether we may contact your current supervisor. Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
  • Writing Sample: A writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical abilities must be submitted as part of your application package, for which you must be the principal author. It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages.
  • Transcript: If you have practiced law for less than five years, you must submit a copy of your law school transcript. Your transcript must include your grade-point average or class ranking. If you have practiced law for 5 years or more, your transcript is not required.
  • Bar Membership/Certificate of Good Standing: Submit a copy of your bar card, certificate of good standing, or other documentary evidence to prove that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, a U.S. a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • If you are a current or former federal employee: Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, with-in grade/range increases); your current promotion potential. If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee: Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information about your most recent political appointment: Position title, type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), agency and beginning and ending dates of appointment.
  • Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable): You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.