The Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is now accepting applications for Attorney positions for its Los Angeles-area locations.
WHO WE ARE: The Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) largest legal program and is comprised of a diverse staff of more than 1,300 attorneys and approximately 300 support personnel across the country. OPLA functions as a national law firm through its 25 Field Locations located throughout the country and a Headquarters in Washington, D.C. OPLA provides legal support to more than 19,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees working in over 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world.
WHAT WE DO: OPLA attorneys in field locations are generally referred to as Assistant Chief Counsels and have varied duties including representing the U.S. Government in administrative removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Board of Immigration Appeals. These proceedings frequently involve applicants for asylum or other forms of relief under United States immigration laws. Additional duties include providing legal advice and support to other agency components on employment, criminal, customs, and information disclosure related issues, as well as giving litigation support to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation and to U.S. Attorney’s Offices on immigration and customs matters.
Salary:
$86,000-$142,000
Minimum Qualifications:
Qualifications
• To be eligible for the position, you must be a U.S. Citizen, admitted to the bar of any state or U.S. territory, and a graduate of an ABA-accredited law school
• You will also be required to pass a background check and maintain a security clearance How to Apply
• To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages) and a law school transcript to opla-los-recruitment@ice.dhs.gov Salary Range
• General Schedule (GS) 11-14 with Los Angeles or Las Vegas locality pay, available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule