General Attorney

Customs and Border Protection•San Diego, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Assistant Chief Counsel in San Diego, California. The Office of Chief Counsel is a large government legal office whose attorneys advise CBP across its portfolio and represent the agency in administrative matters while supporting litigation handled by the Department of Justice. The position’s salary range is $85,307 (GS-11, Step 1) to $186,785 (GS-14, Step 10). The full performance level is GS-14; eligible attorneys may compete for GS-15 positions after meeting time-in-grade and performance requirements. The General Attorney provides legal guidance and representation concerning CBP activities at and between ports of entry. The work spans customs and admissibility, trade enforcement, border searches, immigration, national security and intelligence, government ethics, and labor and employment matters. The attorney also represents CBP in administrative proceedings, supports the Department of Justice in civil and criminal litigation, and develops and delivers legal training to CBP managers and employees. Travel may be required, and a two-year trial or probationary period may apply.

Requirements

Graduate from a full course of study at an American Bar Association-accredited law school, or a law school with qualifying accreditation that permits graduates to sit for a state bar examination.
For appointment as a General Attorney, be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Recent law school graduates and attorneys with less than one year of licensed attorney experience must have a Juris Doctor or equivalent professional law degree and demonstrate superior law student work or activities to qualify at GS-11.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements, including applicable education requirements, by 12/29/2026.
Be a U.S. citizen.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
Applicants not currently employed by CBP must have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates for at least three of the last five years, unless eligible for a residency waiver.
Pass a required background investigation; drug testing procedures follow the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan.
Comply with applicable Executive Branch and CBP ethics rules, including obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity where required.

Nice To Haves

Superior law student work or activities may be demonstrated by ranking in the top one-third of the graduating class; significant work or achievement on an official law review or journal; winning or competing on a moot court team or serving on a moot court board; continuous full-time participation in a legal aid program; significant summer law clerk experience; participation in an Office of Chief Counsel or DHS externship; or other evidence of clearly superior legal achievement.
Veterans’ preference eligibility is considered a positive factor in hiring.

Responsibilities

Provide legal guidance to and legal representation of CBP regarding its activities and functions at and between ports of entry, including passenger, cargo, airmail, and seaport environments.
Research and apply laws, regulations, decisions, and guidance across CBP matters, including customs and admissibility, forced-labor enforcement, customs duties, taxes and fees, border searches of electronic devices, immigration, national security, and intelligence.
Provide ethics guidance and represent CBP in administrative hearings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, administrative law judges, and arbitrators.
Handle administrative matters involving employee discipline, discrimination complaints, collective bargaining agreements, and broker license revocation.
Support the Department of Justice as agency counsel in civil and criminal federal court actions, including by preparing litigation reports, affidavits, and pleadings and participating in eDiscovery, motion drafting, witness interviews, and mediation or settlement discussions.
Develop and deliver legal training to CBP managers and employees on CBP functions and activities, including disclosure of information, search and seizure, and investigations, and on employee-related legal issues such as ethics, reasonable accommodations, whistleblower protections, and the Hatch Act.