Trial Attorney - Office of Immigration Litigation

U.S. Department of Justice; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 64,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Justice — Office of Immigration Litigation in Washington, DC seeks Trial Attorneys to lead civil immigration litigation, handling high-stakes appellate and district court matters nationwide. Roles involve coordinating with agency clients, developing strategy, drafting pleadings, and engaging in hearings and settlements.

Applicants must hold a J.D. or equivalent and be licensed to practice in any State or DC, with strong advocacy and legal writing skills.

Qualifications

• J.D., or equivalent, and active bar admission in good standing.
• Preference for strong advocacy and legal writing skills.
• Experience arguing motions, handling discovery, and federal clerkship desirable.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with agency clients and craft litigation strategy.
• Conduct pre-trial work and draft complaints, motions, answers, and briefs.
• Participate in hearings, oral arguments, and court-ordered discussions.
• Engage in settlement talks and assist in appellate/mandamus matters.

Skills

Advocacy

Legal writing

Motions experience

Education

J.D. or equivalent

Bar admission in any State/DC

Job description

Trial Attorney - Office of Immigration Litigation

Hiring Organization

Hiring Office

Office of Immigration and Litigation

Attorney Appointment Type

Attorney Permanent

Job ID

AT-13093780-27-TLM

Location: 450 5th Street NW

Location: 450 5th Street NW
Washington, DC - United States

Application Deadline:

Monday, November 9, 2026

About the Office

The Office of Immigration Litigation seeks attorneys eager to work at the forefront of the DOJ's most significant immigration cases, handling high-impact litigation in federal circuit courts of appeals and leading nearly all immigration matters in district courts nationwide.

The Civil Division's Office of Immigration Litigation is responsible for all civil litigation arising under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA), as amended (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), and related statutes and regulations. The Office's work involves issues of pressing national importance. Immigration litigation is primarily defensive in nature, with the volume and character of the cases reflecting the varied personal, political, and economic circumstances that bring persons to the United States. OIL's central mission is federal court defense of agency action in immigration removal proceedings in aid of the Department of Homeland Security's immigration enforcement efforts, and federal court defense of individual and class action challenges to immigration laws and programs. The office's current work generally can be categorized across five broad topics - programmatic immigration challenges, review petition challenges to final removal orders, habeas challenges to civil immigration detention in aid of removal, mandamus litigation compelling agency action, and affirmative denaturalization litigation. OIL likewise handles important immigration matters arising under the INA's Terrorism Related Inadmissibility Grounds in support of national security.

Job Description

Trial Attorney responsibilities primarily involve: coordinating with the agency clients; crafting litigation strategy; conducting necessary pre-trial work; drafting all complaints, motions, answers, and briefs; participating in hearings, oral arguments, and court-ordered discussions; engaging in settlement talks to advance the government's interests; making determinations about whether to seek panel, en banc, or Supreme Court/cert. review of adverse decisions and substantially participating in further review briefing and argument; and handling attorney's fees litigation. OIL's Trial Attorneys likewise contribute significantly as expert consultants on immigration-related inquiries from Congress and the Department.

OIL's district court litigation often involve high-profile matters, frequently entails short-fuse/emergency, fast-paced temporary restraining order litigation, and ordinarily requires analyzing substantially complex immigration, administrative, statutory interpretation, and constitutional law issues and principles. In contrast, OIL's appellate court litigation entails responding to motions for stays of removal, filing motions for summary affirmance or dismissal, drafting complex appellate briefs, and appearing for oral arguments throughout the nation. Some examples of the Office's current and anticipated litigation include: defense of challenges to the expansion of streamlined expedited removal procedures implicating border security; increased defense of review petitions in the federal courts of appeals stemming from a substantial backlog of immigration court cases and expansion of interior enforcement efforts and that raise novel, difficult issues about criminal and other removal grounds, asylum and protection law, and the availability of relief under the immigration statute; defense of the Administration's immigration initiatives reflected in recent Executive Orders such as efforts designed to secure the border, in partnership with other Division components; defense of habeas petitions challenging immigration custody and immigration detainers, particularly under the recently-enacted Laken Riley Act; litigation involving the administration of temporary employment authorization, foreign worker and investor programs; investigation and litigation of civil actions to revoke naturalization; and defense of mandamus litigation involving alleged delay of agency action and that has increased dramatically over the last several years.

Given the Administration's prioritization and focus on immigration enforcement (reflected in part by several immigration-related Executive Orders signed by the President since January 20), OIL's workload has increased dramatically across most of these categories. The organization works closely with United States Attorney's Offices on immigration related matters, and OIL provides support and counsel to all federal agencies involved in the admission, regulation, and removal of noncitizens under our immigration and nationality statutes, as well as related areas of border enforcement and national security.

Qualifications

Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing.

• To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, applicants must have up to one (1) year of legal experience.
• To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have minimum (1) or more years post-J.D. legal experience
• To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must possess at least one and one-half (1.5) years of post-J.D. legal experience.
• To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must possess at least two and one-half (2.5) years of post-J.D. legal experience.
• To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must possess at least four (4) years of post-J.D. legal experience

Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Preferred qualifications: Applicants should also have excellent academic credentials and outstanding advocacy and legal writing skills. Experience arguing motions, handling discovery, developing expert witness testimony, trying cases, and a federal judicial clerkship are highly desirable.

Trial Period Statement

As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• Your performance and conduct;
• The needs and interests of the agency;
• Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

$63,795.00 to $164,301.00 Per Year; Salary will be set based on the selectee's duty location and the applicable locality pay rate at the time of appointment.

Number of Positions

Many

Travel

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation Expenses

Not Authorized