Legal Administrative Specialist

Summary For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/ As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Learn more about this agency Duties If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing pre-trial and courtroom support for a wide variety of criminal trials. Typical work assignments will include: Organizing and managing criminal discovery materials for assigned cases. Providing case-related administrative support to attorneys and preparing legal/administrative documents in support of criminal investigations, prosecutions, appeals, and post-conviction litigation. Preparing master trial exhibits in electronic and hard copy, and work closely with Automated Litigation Support to prepare audio/video for courtroom presentations. Proofreading and providing basic editing assistance for legal documents such as appellate briefs, motion responses, search warrant affidavits and material witness warrants. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a United States Citizen or National. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Qualifications GS-7: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, a combination of Education and Experience, OR Superior Academic Achievement. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service or private sector. Qualifying experience involves performing the following types of duties: performing routine litigation support assignments such as assisting with organizing case information; assisting attorneys in preparing for court by preparing exhibits, compiling trial notebooks, compiling witness and exhibit lists; preparing computerized trial presentations and exhibits; and conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to requests. Education: One full year of graduate education in a closely related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law). Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. S.A.A: Bachelor's Degree in a closely related field (e.g., Information Technology, Computer Science, Law, Criminal Justice) AND meet one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions (1) class standing in the upper third of the graduating class;(2) An overall GPA of 3.0 OR at least a 3.0 based on courses completed during the final two years of my curriculum; a GPA of at least 3.5 based on the average of required courses completed in my major field OR based on the average of required courses completed during the final two years of my curriculum; or (3) election to a membership in a national scholastic honor society. (transcripts required) GS-9: To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service or private sector. Qualifying experience involves performing the following types of duties: performing a variety of automated support necessary in preparing, organizing, indexing, developing, managing, and tracking exhibits, evidence and data relevant to cases presented for a jury, grand jury, or other legal proceeding; assisting attorneys with trial preparation, including making recommendations on how to proceed with trial presentations; utilizing office automation tools in order to create physical and digital trial presentations; working with investigators, agents, and legal support staff; handling a wide variety of evidence and discovery; providing technical assistance to litigation teams, and utilizing various software applications to provide automated litigation assistance to attorneys in trial preparation and courtroom presentations. Education: Possess a Master's, LL.B. or J.D., or equivalent graduate degree in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law, Information Technology); OR 2 (two) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading such to a degree that is related to the position and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university. (transcripts required). Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of graduate-level education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. (Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used in this calculation. To be qualified, you must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample with three or fewer errors. (A typing test may later be required.) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ Education All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Additional information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.