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.gov Web site. To quickly search USAJOBS postings, start with our Job Finder.

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Honors Program

The General Counsel’s Honors Program serves as the cornerstone for entry-level attorney hiring by the Department of Homeland Security. This program offers highly qualified third-year law students; graduate law students (applying in the fall of the last year of their graduate law study); and judicial law clerks the opportunity to start their legal career by addressing some of the most critical and controversial issues facing our nation today.

Honors Program Attorneys will be hired for a two-year term, and during that time will have the opportunity to work in the headquarters Office of the General Counsel and other participating component legal offices within the Office of the General Counsel.  These include legal offices within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the United States Coast Guard.  All of the offices in which Honors Program Attorneys will serve during their two-year term are located in the Washington D.C. area.  Honors Program Attorneys who achieve satisfactory performance ratings will be eligible for full-time positions at the conclusion of their two-year term, depending on the Department’s needs and availability of funding. 

The Honors Program is highly competitive.  The Department selects candidates based on multiple factors including academic achievement, writing skills, law review or moot court experience, legal aid or clinical experience, and employment history.  We also consider specialized academic studies, post-graduate studies, as well as employment and extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department.  We are seeking candidates with a well-rounded background, demonstrated intellectual and analytical abilities, and excellent judgment.

The responsibilities of the Department offer Honors Program Attorneys experience in a variety of practice areas.  These include, but are not limited to, litigation, administrative law, commercial law, procurement law, legislative and regulatory drafting, maritime law, immigration law, enforcement law, and national security law.  Honors Program Attorneys working for the Department can expect to be given a significant amount of responsibility early in their career, often handling highly visible or legally significant cases on an accelerated basis.  Honors Program Attorneys will also participate in a program designed to familiarize them with the operating components within the Department and other federal agencies.

Applications for the Honors Program will be accepted online from August 15, 2009 to September 21, 2009.  Candidates interested in the 2010 Honors Program should submit a resume, cover letter, references and a current law school transcript to OGCstaffing@dhs.gov. Final selections for the Honors Program are expected in the beginning of November 2009.  Subject to the budgetary or security clearance issues individuals selected for the Honors Attorney Program can expect to commence employment with the Department in the fall of 2010.

For additional information please contact Craig Raynsford, Attorney Advisor, Office of the General Counsel at 202-447-3303.

The Department of Homeland Security is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Summer Law Intern Program

The Summer Law Intern Program is a competitive recruitment program for compensated positions in the headquarters Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C.

The Department selects candidates based on multiple factors including academic achievement, writing skills, law review or moot court experience, legal aid or clinical experience, and other employment history. We are seeking candidates with a well-rounded background, demonstrated intellectual and analytical abilities, and excellent judgment.

Summer Law Interns may expect to be assigned positions which offer both valuable experience and substantial individual responsibility. Successful candidates will be afforded the opportunity to work in the different legal divisions within the Office of the General Counsel including Immigration, Regulatory Affairs, Operations and Enforcement, Legal Counsel, General Law, Technology Programs, National Protection and Programs, and Intelligence.

Summer Law Interns will also participate in a program designed to familiarize them with the operating components within the Department and other federal agencies.  In the past this has included tours of the DHS Forensic Document Laboratory, the United States Coast Guard Washington Air Station, the Dulles International Airport Port of Entry, the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State, the United States Capitol and the Supreme Court.

Applications for the Summer Law Intern Program will be accepted online from August 15, 2009 to September 21, 2009.  Candidates interested in the 2010 Summer Law Intern Program should submit a resume, cover letter, references and a current law school transcript to OGCstaffing@dhs.gov. Final selections for the Summer Law Intern Program are expected in the beginning of November 2009.  Subject to the budgetary or security clearance issues individuals selected for the Summer Law Intern Program can expect to commence employment following completion of their spring semester.

For additional information please contact Craig Raynsford, Attorney Advisor, Office of the General Counsel at 202-447-3303.

The Department of Homeland Security is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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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

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