Senior Federal Litigation and Appellate Attorney

Yacub Law Offices | Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area

Yacub Law Offices is seeking an accomplished Senior Federal Litigation Attorney to lead and expand the firm’s federal litigation and appellate practice. The ideal candidate will have substantial prior experience with a United States Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL), or another federal government litigation office.

This is a senior-level position for an attorney with exceptional legal-writing, strategic, and courtroom skills who is prepared to manage sophisticated federal litigation from initial case assessment through evidentiary hearings, dispositive motions, appellate briefing, and oral argument.

About Yacub Law Offices

Yacub Law Offices is an established immigration law firm with more than 28 years of experience representing individuals, families, and businesses. The firm maintains offices in Virginia, Maryland, and Buenos Aires and represents clients in complex immigration matters throughout the United States.

Our federal litigation and appellate practice includes habeas corpus proceedings, Administrative Procedure Act claims, mandamus actions, naturalization and denaturalization litigation, constitutional and regulatory challenges, petitions for review, and other matters involving federal immigration agencies and the Department of Justice.

Responsibilities

The Senior Federal Litigation Attorney will handle federal district court and appellate litigation, including:

Preparing and filing habeas corpus petitions challenging unlawful or prolonged immigration detention.
Litigating habeas matters through discovery, evidentiary hearings, briefing, and final resolution.
Preparing complaints, answers, motions, oppositions, replies, and other federal court filings.
Drafting and arguing motions for summary judgment and other dispositive motions.
Handling requests for temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, stays of removal, and other emergency relief.
Litigating claims under the Administrative Procedure Act involving unlawful agency action, unreasonable delay, and failures to comply with federal statutes and regulations.
Preparing and litigating federal mandamus actions.
Handling naturalization litigation, including actions under 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b) and challenges to the denial of naturalization applications under 8 U.S.C. § 1421(c).
Representing clients in denaturalization proceedings and related federal litigation.
Preparing petitions for review before the United States Courts of Appeals.
Drafting opening briefs, response briefs when applicable, reply briefs, motions, and supplemental authorities in appellate proceedings.
Preparing for and presenting oral argument before federal district courts and courts of appeals.
Developing the evidentiary record through declarations, document production, depositions, witness preparation, and evidentiary hearings.
Coordinating litigation strategy with the firm’s removal-defense, appellate, and USCIS teams.
Negotiating with Assistant United States Attorneys, OIL attorneys, and other government counsel.
Developing litigation protocols, templates, and quality-control procedures.
Identifying recurring legal issues suitable for strategic or impact litigation.
Maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, client service, and written advocacy.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

Admission to practice law in at least one United States jurisdiction.
Eligibility for admission to the relevant federal district courts and courts of appeals.
Significant federal litigation and appellate experience.
Prior experience with a United States Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation, another DOJ component, or a comparable federal litigation practice.
Demonstrated experience drafting dispositive motions and appellate briefs.
Experience conducting evidentiary hearings, oral arguments, depositions, or federal trials.
Outstanding legal research, analytical, writing, and oral-advocacy skills.
The ability to analyze complex jurisdictional, constitutional, statutory, regulatory, and administrative-law issues.
Experience managing federal cases independently from inception through resolution.
Excellent professional judgment, organization, and attention to detail.
A commitment to protecting due process and ensuring meaningful access to federal judicial review.

Immigration-law experience is strongly preferred but is not required for candidates with exceptional federal litigation credentials and a demonstrated interest in developing expertise in immigration-related litigation.

Preferred Experience

The strongest candidates will have substantial experience in one or more of the following areas:

Federal habeas corpus litigation.
Evidentiary hearings in federal court.
Motions for summary judgment and other dispositive motions.
Administrative Procedure Act litigation.
Federal mandamus actions.
Naturalization litigation under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1421(c) and 1447(b).
Denaturalization proceedings.
Petitions for review before the United States Courts of Appeals.
Opening and reply appellate briefs.
Emergency injunctive relief and stays of removal.
Constitutional and administrative-law litigation.
Immigration detention and removal litigation.
Government investigations or affirmative civil enforcement.
Federal appellate oral argument.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary for this position is $175,000. Benefits include health insurance and participation in the firm’s 401(k) retirement plan.

The position is based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with office locations in Woodbridge, Virginia, and Rockville, Maryland. A hybrid arrangement may be considered for an exceptionally qualified candidate.

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit:

A résumé.
A cover letter describing their relevant federal litigation experience.
A substantive federal court or appellate writing sample.
A list of representative matters, hearings, arguments, or significant briefs, where permitted by applicable confidentiality obligations.

Applications and inquiries will be treated confidentially.

Yacub Law Offices is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes applications from attorneys of all backgrounds.

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