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Unit Chief Immigration Judge

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Richmond, Virginia
Closing date
May 8, 2021
Duties

Summary

Applicants who have applied to previous Unit Chief Immigration Judge announcements must re-apply to this announcement to receive consideration for this location.

This is an Excepted Service position. Upon completion of the required trial period, the position will be permanent. Additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of the Chief Immigration Judge. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) seeks highly-qualified individuals to join our team of expert professionals in becoming a part of our challenging and rewarding Agency. The primary mission of the EOIR is to adjudicate immigration cases by fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly interpreting and administering the Nation's immigration laws. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, EOIR conducts immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings.

EOIR consists of three adjudicatory components: the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, which is responsible for managing the numerous immigration courts located throughout the United States where immigration judges adjudicate individual cases; the Board of Immigration Appeals, which primarily conducts appellate reviews of the immigration judges' decisions; and the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, which adjudicates immigration-related employment cases. EOIR is committed to providing the fair, expeditious, and uniform application of our Nation's immigration laws in all cases. EOIR's Headquarters is located in Falls Church, Virginia, about 10 miles from downtown Washington, DC.

As Unit Chief Immigration Judge, the incumbent serves as an Immigration Judge in formal, quasi-judicial hearings conducted via video teleconference (VTC). The Unit Chief Immigration Judge also supervises the administrative staff assigned to their VTC unit.

Responsibilities:
  • Presiding in formal, quasi-judicial VTC hearings to determine issues arising in exclusion, deportation, and related immigration proceedings.
  • Managing and directing the course of hearings: ruling on all objections, motions, procedural issues, requests for continuances; and receiving the testimony of witnesses and other evidence.
  • Rendering final decisions on the issues of proceedings at the conclusion of the hearing.
  • Supervising personnel assigned to the VTC hearing unit.
  • Directing management activities assigned by the Assistant Chief Immigration Judge.


Travel Required

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

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Employment is contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Selectee(s) must be able to obtain and maintain a top secret clearance.
  • Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
  • Moving and Relocation Expense are not authorized.
  • Relevant experience (see qualifications below.)
  • Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • You must file a financial disclosure statement in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.


Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Unit Chief Immigration Judge position, applicants must meet all of the following minimum qualifications:
  • Education: Applicants must possess a LL.B., J.D., or LL.M. degree. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.)
AND
  • Licensure: Applicants must be an active member of the bar, duly licensed and authorized to practice law as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the U.S., or the District of Columbia. (Provide the month and year in which you obtained your first license and the State from which it was issued.)
AND
  • Experience: Applicants must have seven (7) years of post-bar admission experience as a licensed attorney preparing for, participating in, and/or appealing formal hearings or trials involving litigation and/or administrative law at the Federal, State or local level. Qualifying litigation experience involves cases in which a complaint was filed with a court, or a charging document (e.g., indictment or information) was issued by a court, a grand jury, or appropriate military authority. Qualifying administrative law experience involves cases in which a formal procedure was initiated by a governmental administrative body.
NOTE: Qualifying experience is calculated only after bar admission.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your assessment questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your Resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal grade level(s) held, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

Education

Additional information

In addition to the minimum qualifications above, applicants must submit a Writing Sample, not to exceed ten (10) pages, demonstrating their ability to author legal documents and a document addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs). (See "How You Will Be Evaluated" section.) Failure to submit these documents will result in your application package being removed from consideration.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to ACIJ appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in ACIJ hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must claim their status when completing their application in the online application process and attach supporting documentation. (See "Required Documents" section.)

Conditions of Employment: Only U.S. Citizens or Nationals are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ applicants, both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, whose job location is with the U.S., must meet the residency requirement. For a total of three (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: 1) resided in the U.S., 2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving oversees.

Alternative work schedule options are available.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications listed above.

Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated to determine those who are best qualified. This determination will be based, in part, on the following Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs):
  • Ability to demonstrate the appropriate temperament to serve as a judge.
  • Knowledge of immigration laws and procedures.
  • Substantial litigation experience, preferably in a high volume context.
  • Experience handling complex legal issues.
  • Experience conducting administrative hearings.
  • Knowledge of judicial practices and procedures.
  • Experience serving in a managerial or supervisory capacity, preferably of judges, attorneys, or other legal professionals.
  • Applicants are required to address each of the seven (7) QRFs in narrative form, to the best of the applicant's ability. A response stating only that the applicant does not have experience will not be considered as addressing the affected QRF. Applicants that do not have experience within a specific factor should instead discuss a similar skill/ability/knowledge/experience for evaluation. Failure to address each factor at this minimum level will result in an ineligible determination. The QRFs must be addressed on a separate document which indicates the number of the specific QRF you are addressing. Applicants should be thorough in addressing the QRFs. For example, applicants addressing QRF #3 (substantial litigation experience) should discuss the approximate number of cases handled in a given period of time, the applicant's specific role (first chair, co-counsel, responsible for the written brief only, etc.), and the length of time involved in a given role (lead counsel in 20 jury trials in 10 years). Applicants should also include specific examples of the types of cases, the number of court appearances made in those cases, and the case dispositions (plea, settlement, bench trial, Jury trial, etc.) Conclusory statements (such as "the applicant has been involved in a substantial amount of litigation") will receive little or no weight in the evaluation of the QRFs.

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Top Secret

    Drug test required
    Yes

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

    Trust determination process
    Credentialing , National security

    Required Documents

    To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/07/2021, the closing date of this announcement, which includes:
  • Your Resume documenting seven (7) years of post-bar admission legal experience in litigation and/or administrative law; Cover Letter optional.
  • A complete online Assessment Questionnaire.
  • Document(s)addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs). (See "How You Will Be Evaluated" section.)
  • Writing Sample demonstrating your ability to author legal documents.(One (1) document, not to exceed 10 pages.)
  • Current or former Federal employees must provide copies of their most recent Performance Appraisal and their latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
  • Other Supporting Documents, if applicable:
    • Veterans' Preference Documentation: Although the veterans' preference point system does not apply to this position, we accept preference claims and adjudicate such claims per the documentation provided. Note : If claiming 5-point veterans' preference, include a DD-214 or statement of service. If claiming 10-point veterans' preference, include an SF-15 and documentation required by that form, VA or military letter dated 1991 or later, and DD-214.
    • Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
  • Note: Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address, phone number, email address, and employment information. Each position listed on your Resume must include: From/To dates of employment (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY to Present); agency/employer name; position title; Federal grade level(s) held, if applicable; hours, if less than full time; and duties performed. In addition, any experience on less than a full time basis must specify the percentage and length of time spent in performance of such duties.

    Failure to submit the documents listed above with your application package will result in your application package being removed from consideration.

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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