Legal Employment Opportunities with the Office of the General Counsel

The General Counsel is the chief legal advisor to the Secretary and the chief legal officer for the Department of Homeland Security. The General Counsel and his staff ensure that Department activities comply with all legal requirements, as well as integrate the attorneys and staff throughout the Department into a cohesive, full-service legal team. 

Attorneys from the Office of the General Counsel and its major components play major roles in crafting, developing, and defending policies relating to many of the most important issues facing the nation today, including counterterrorism, immigration and border security, emergency response and recovery, and countless other matters.

Career Opportunities with the Office of the General Counsel

Vacancies in the Office of the General Counsel are posted directly on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's USAJOBS Web site, a comprehensive listing of employment opportunities within the government.

Honors Program

The Office of the General Counsel Honors Program is the Department's preferred recruitment program for entry-level attorneys. The Office of the General Counsel seeks to recruit outstanding graduates each year to join for a two-year rotational assignment through various components of the Department. 

The program provides highly qualified new attorneys (and recent law graduates completing judicial clerkships or fellowships) with the opportunity to start their legal careers at the Department, enhancing their skills and gaining hands-on experience working on some of the most critical and controversial issues facing our nation today.

Candidates chosen for the Honors Attorney Program will begin their two-year assignment in the fall of 2008. They will have the opportunity to work at Office of the General Counsel headquarters divisions and, where possible, rotate through various operating component legal offices over the course of the two-year porogram. Honors attorneys who achieve satisfactory performance ratings will ordinarily be offered permanent full-time positions, depending on the Department's needs and availability of funding at that time.

The Honors Program is highly competitive. The Department reviews many elements of a candidate's background before selecting him or her for employment, including: academic achievement, law review experience, moot court competition, legal aid and clinical experience, and summer or part-time employment. 

We also consider specialized academic studies (including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees), work experience, and extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department.

How to Apply

Candidates interested in the 2008 Honors Attorney Program should submit a resume, cover letter, and a current law school transcript to OGCstaffing@dhs.gov by November 22, 2007. We will notify candidates of their applications by December 7, 2007. Interviews will be arranged at Department headquarters in Washington, DC, before final selections are announced in the spring of 2008. Assuming successful qualification for a security clearance, those selected as honors attorneys will begin work for the Department in the fall of 2008.

Address further questions to Jeffery Reily, Chief of OGC Management Division, at 202-282-9352.

Learn more about the program and how to apply: 2008 Honors Attorney Program (PDF, 6 pages, 704 KB).

Summer Law Intern Program

The Office of the General Counsel runs a competitive recruitment program for compensated summer internships. 

Selection for employment is based on many elements of a candidate's background including academic achievement, law review or moot court experience, legal aid and clinical experience, and summer or part-time legal employment. 

We also consider specialized academic studies (including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees), work experience, and extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department. 

Applications are solicited annually beginning in January through USAJOBS.

Volunteer Legal Intern/Extern Program

The Office of the General Counsel accepts volunteer interns and externs during the academic year. 

These positions are without compensation but are highly sought after because of the responsibility and experience they offer. 

Applications may be made at any time by sending a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to OGCStaffing@dhs.gov

This page was last modified on November 1, 2007