General Attorney

Organizational Location : This announcement will be used to fill multiple vacancies at Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Field Locations. Although this announcement is advertised for multiple locations, it is not intended to convey that vacancies will be filled at all locations.

Salary Information : The salary range listed is the General Schedule (GS) base rate. Click here to access the GS locality pay tables.

Duties

The specific duties for this position will be outlined during the interview process.

Requirements

• 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 How You Will Be Evaluated and Qualifications tabs).
• 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 02 / 05 / 2026. 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 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 :

Bar Membership :

You must 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.

Current or Former Political Appointees :

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u), and / or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 315.707. VeteransPeace CorpsVISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

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