General Attorney

U.S.-Citizenship-and-Immigration-Services; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 95,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites qualified attorneys to apply for positions at the GS-13/14/15 levels within the Office of the Chief Counsel. Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.M.

from an ABA-accredited law school and be admitted to the bar in an eligible jurisdiction, with experience at or above the GS level described. The posting notes the requirement of post-J.D. experience matching duties and highlights potential for advancement to GS-15/10, with deadlines

Qualifications

• J.D. or LL.M. from ABA-accredited law school or serve a legal apprenticeship and pass the bar in one of specified jurisdictions.
• Bar admission must be active for GS-13 through GS-15.
• Post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities may be required.

Skills

Legal analysis

Workload management

Legal writing

Education

J.D./LL.M. from ABA-accredited law school

Job description

Protect your homeland and defend your culture. Join USCIS, America's frontline defense against illegal foreign infiltration and fraud.

Do you desire to be a part of the vibrant United States immigrant admission process, to protect American interests and to secure our nation while building a meaningful and rewarding career? If so, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and its Office of the Chief Counsel are calling! The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 10/26/2026.

You qualify at the GS-13 level if you: are currently an attorney in federal employment with the equivalent of being a GS-12 and at least one year experience at that level, or if not a federal employee and you have at least one year of post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

You qualify at the GS-14 level if you: are currently an attorney in federal employment with the equivalent of being a GS-13 and at least one year experience at that level, or if not a federal employee and you have at least two years of post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

You qualify at the GS-15 level if you: are currently an attorney in federal employment with the equivalent of being a GS-14 and at least one year experience at that level, or if not a federal employee and you have at least three years of post-J.D. professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an ABA-accredited law school or serve a legal apprenticeship in California, Virginia, Vermont, or Washington and pass the bar exam in order to be permitted to practice law in one (1) of those jurisdictions.

Bar Requirement GS-13 thru GS-15: Be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction).

All applicants will be rated against the following factors:

• Ability to resolve questions and provide accurate legal advice to both attorneys and non-attorneys on complex legal matters.
• Ability to handle a heavy workload and meet deadlines.
• Legal aptitude as reflected in the resume provided.
• Quality of writing sample not to exceed 10 pages.
• Quality of the cover letter addressed to OCC summarizing interest in the position not to exceed 1 page.
• Quality of recommendations provided (No more than 3 recommendations total).

Federal Experience: If you are using current or prior federal experience as a basis for qualifying for this position, the grade levels and length of employment (mm/dd/year) at each grade level must be listed in your work history. This information will be further validated if selected for this position.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

Promotional Potential: This position starts at the 13/14/15, depending on such factors as the selectee's experience and current salary, and has promotion potential to the GS-15/10. When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.