Join a dynamic team of attorneys providing fast-paced legal advice and guidance to clients at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor's (OPLA) Commercial and Administrative Law Division (CALD) and leverage your legal experience to protect the homeland in this ever-evolving area of law. The salary range listed is the General Schedule (GS) base rate. Click here to access the GS locality pay tables.
OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 3,000 attorneys nationwide to provide a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices.
OPLA's Enforcement, General Law, and Litigation (EG&L) divisions, through close client engagement, advance ICE's homeland security and public safety mission by providing expert legal advice and guidance to ICE personnel enforcing our nation's immigration, customs, and criminal laws and policies.
Counsel in EG&L also defend the operational authorities and decisions of ICE officers and agents in federal courts and support the advocacy of ICE attorneys before immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, with special emphasis on cases involving criminal aliens, human rights violators, and aliens who threaten our national security.
EG&L divisions also advise and provide legal and prudential counsel to an array of operational and policy clients within ICE on contracts, fiscal, and information law issues, as well as ethics and regulatory matters. The Commercial and Administrative Law Division (CALD) portfolio generally falls within two practice areas - procurement and administrative law based in Washington, D.C., and revenue recovery based in Williston, Vermont.
CALD attorneys directly support the mission of the ICE Office of Acquisition Management, the ICE Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and OPLA oversight of major procurements and fiscal obligations. Attorneys are responsible for advising and assisting ICE officials (including the Head of Contracting Activity) in carrying out ICE responsibilities with respect to acquisition programs and operations.
CALD attorneys also provide legal counsel and representation in a variety of practice areas including general administrative, environmental, and intellectual property law. In addition, CALD advises the ICE Health Service Corps in areas such as the portability of professional licenses for contract medical service providers, expenditure of appropriations for health care services, Collaborative Practice Agreements with Advanced Practice Providers, and contract service providers.
Procurement and administrative law attorneys: Advise and assist ICE officials in carrying out ICE responsibilities with respect to acquisition programs and inquiries involving fiscal and appropriations law; Provide oral and written legal advice on all stages of the acquisition process, including acquisition planning, solicitation, and award, as well as contract administration; Litigate bid protests before the Government Accountability Office and claims before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals; Assist Department of Justice counsel in all aspects of bid protest and claims litigation before the U.S.
Court of Federal Claims; and Provide legal counsel and representation in a variety of practice areas, including, but not limited to, federal procurement law, fiscal law, appropriations law, suspension and debarment, general administrative law, and intellectual property law.
Revenue recovery attorneys provide comprehensive legal advice on all matters related to collections on delinquent immigration bond and civil enforcement debts, real estate acquisition and leasing, environmental law, and damages to government-owned vehicles.
In this capacity, they: Review breaches of immigration bonds and prepare records of proceedings for demand letters to delinquent bond companies; Represent ICE in hearings before ALJs on employee debts; Provide advice and legal reviews on National Environmental Policy Act analyses, historic preservation requirements, and compliance with the Endangered Species Act; Draft purchase and sale agreements and review title and deeds for real estate purchases; and Assist Department of Justice attorneys by drafting pleadings, assembling administrative records, and preparing declarations for immigration bond, environmental, and real estate litigation.
CALD attorneys work directly with OPLA colleagues in other divisions and regions, a broad array of program offices within ICE, and other stakeholders both within and outside of DHS.
The work is fast-paced and requires the ability to: (1) provide legal counsel and representation in a variety of practice areas; (2) prioritize multiple assignments, including litigation work and taskings; (3) exercise sound legal judgment; (4) efficiently produce quality legal analyses of complex issues within the areas of procurement law, fiscal law, and other areas of CALD's portfolio; and (5) work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
Legal interpretations and opinions often require originality and creative thinking to strike the appropriate balance between conflicting interests, factual issues, and policy considerations.
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree. Please see Required Documents for more information. A student loan repayment incentive may be available; if such an incentive is available and is authorized, a service agreement will be required.
This position is with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security.
The posted pay range is $63795 – $164301/yr.
This position requires a Secret security clearance.
Applications close on 2026-11-13.
This position is open under the 'Public' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government · Retrieved 2026-10-29 · Not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM or USAJOBS.gov
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