Yesterday
Unspecified
Full Scope Polygraph
Military and Law Enforcement
Washington, DC (On/Off-Site)
Become an Attorney with the Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Ethics, Labor and Employment, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), located in Washington, DC. Office of Chief Counsel attorneys work on cutting-edge legal issues and provide critical advice across the CBP portfolio, including trade enforcement, search and seizure, immigration, and government ethics. They also represent the agency in labor and employment matters and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.
This position is open to the public: U.S. citizens, nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Duties
Typical work assignments include:
• Providing ethics guidance and representing CBP in administrative hearings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, administrative law judges, and arbitrators involving matters such as employee discipline, discrimination complaints, collective bargaining agreements, and broker license revocation.
• Supporting the Department of Justice as agency counsel in civil and criminal actions (i.e., FOIA, tort/Bivens, asset forfeiture, immigration, penalty collection) brought in federal court by preparing litigation reports, affidavits, and other pleadings, and participating in eDiscovery, motion drafting, witness interviews, and mediation/settlement discussions.
• Developing and delivering legal training to CBP managers and employees relating to the activities and functions of CBP (i.e., disclosure of information, search and seizure, and investigations) and legal issues involving CBP employees (i.e., ethics, reasonable accommodations, whistleblower protections, Hatch Act).
• Providing legal guidance to, and legal representation of, CBP in matters relating to the activities and functions of CBP at the ports of entry (i.e., in the passenger, cargo, airmail, and seaport environments) and between the ports of entry; and
• Performing legal research and applying laws, regulations, decisions, and guidance across the CBP portfolio, including customs and admissibility (i.e., forced labor enforcement, collection of customs duties, taxes, and fees), border search (i.e., search of electronic devices), immigration laws (i.e., admissibility at the ports of entry), and national security and intelligence.
Qualifications
Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Specialized Education: Recent law school graduates may be appointed to attorney positions at the GS-11 grade level with the following additional qualifications: rank in the top 1/3 of graduating class; participation on the school's official Law Review; winning of a moot court competition; or membership on a moot court competition that represents their law school in inter-law school competition. An interim appointment of 14 months may be made pending the selectee's admission to the bar. Selectee will be required to provide admittance and good standing to the Bar and must provide a copy of their official law school transcript.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 09/26/2025.
Salary and Benefits
This position starts at a salary of $84,601 (GS-11, Step 1) with promotion potential to $185,234 (GS-14 Step 10).
Employees receive the full package of federal employment benefits that include health and insurance plans, a generous annual and sick leave program, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement plan akin to a traditional 401(k) offering.
How to Apply
Click this site’s APPLY link to access the official Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) on USAJOBS.gov, the federal government’s official employment site. Read the entire JOA carefully for complete details about the position and instructions for submitting your application.
The JOA also describes documents that must be submitted for a complete application, including a cover letter, your resume, transcripts, and a writing sample. To apply for this position, you must follow the instructions in the JOA regarding how and where to submit your complete application package.
The closing date for this employment opportunity is September 26, 2025. Interested in other career opportunities with CBP? Visit www.cbp.gov/careers and check the CBP calendar at www.cbp.gov/cbp-events-calendar frequently for upcoming informational webinars, in-person recruiter events, and virtual career events.
This position is open to the public: U.S. citizens, nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Duties
Typical work assignments include:
• Providing ethics guidance and representing CBP in administrative hearings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, administrative law judges, and arbitrators involving matters such as employee discipline, discrimination complaints, collective bargaining agreements, and broker license revocation.
• Supporting the Department of Justice as agency counsel in civil and criminal actions (i.e., FOIA, tort/Bivens, asset forfeiture, immigration, penalty collection) brought in federal court by preparing litigation reports, affidavits, and other pleadings, and participating in eDiscovery, motion drafting, witness interviews, and mediation/settlement discussions.
• Developing and delivering legal training to CBP managers and employees relating to the activities and functions of CBP (i.e., disclosure of information, search and seizure, and investigations) and legal issues involving CBP employees (i.e., ethics, reasonable accommodations, whistleblower protections, Hatch Act).
• Providing legal guidance to, and legal representation of, CBP in matters relating to the activities and functions of CBP at the ports of entry (i.e., in the passenger, cargo, airmail, and seaport environments) and between the ports of entry; and
• Performing legal research and applying laws, regulations, decisions, and guidance across the CBP portfolio, including customs and admissibility (i.e., forced labor enforcement, collection of customs duties, taxes, and fees), border search (i.e., search of electronic devices), immigration laws (i.e., admissibility at the ports of entry), and national security and intelligence.
Qualifications
Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Specialized Education: Recent law school graduates may be appointed to attorney positions at the GS-11 grade level with the following additional qualifications: rank in the top 1/3 of graduating class; participation on the school's official Law Review; winning of a moot court competition; or membership on a moot court competition that represents their law school in inter-law school competition. An interim appointment of 14 months may be made pending the selectee's admission to the bar. Selectee will be required to provide admittance and good standing to the Bar and must provide a copy of their official law school transcript.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 09/26/2025.
Salary and Benefits
This position starts at a salary of $84,601 (GS-11, Step 1) with promotion potential to $185,234 (GS-14 Step 10).
Employees receive the full package of federal employment benefits that include health and insurance plans, a generous annual and sick leave program, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement plan akin to a traditional 401(k) offering.
How to Apply
Click this site’s APPLY link to access the official Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) on USAJOBS.gov, the federal government’s official employment site. Read the entire JOA carefully for complete details about the position and instructions for submitting your application.
The JOA also describes documents that must be submitted for a complete application, including a cover letter, your resume, transcripts, and a writing sample. To apply for this position, you must follow the instructions in the JOA regarding how and where to submit your complete application package.
The closing date for this employment opportunity is September 26, 2025. Interested in other career opportunities with CBP? Visit www.cbp.gov/careers and check the CBP calendar at www.cbp.gov/cbp-events-calendar frequently for upcoming informational webinars, in-person recruiter events, and virtual career events.
group id: 10338695
