Legal Administrative Specialist

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-AK-13078435-MS.

Duties

If selected for this position, you will serve as a member of the Civil Division legal and support staff. In coordination with the office's System Manager, Litigation Support Unit, Civil Chief and civil support staff, the Legal Administrative Specialist will provide technical and analytical assistance to support the litigation needs of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO). Typical work assignments will include: Intaking and organizing sometimes voluminous discovery materials in a variety of formats, including paper and electronic records. Conducting factual and legal research in support of investigations and cases. Analyzing evidentiary materials, including documentary records, witness statements, and audio, video, and image files. Drafting, proofreading, and editing legal filings and related documents. Supporting courtroom presentations, such as by identifying potential exhibits and witnesses, compiling jury instructions, and using trial presentation software and courtroom equipment to display exhibits at court Based on knowledge of the government's case, provides substantive support to elicit complete and useful discovery responses from litigation parties, non-parties, and agency partners Uses the advanced functions of document review software tools to organize and review discovery materials, including by devising and conducting searches, creating and applying logical tags, applying annotations, sorting and filtering files, and manually coding database fields in ways that facilitate case development. Supports AUSAs during court proceedings or other live case presentations, including by using trial presentation software and courtroom equipment to display exhibits or demonstratives, maintaining accounting system of exhibits entered into evidence, and managing witnesses. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Qualifications

GS-07: To be eligible at the GS-07 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in Federal service. Specialized experience includes: (1) preparing routine legal documents such as motions, notices, subpoenas, proposed orders, and standard correspondence; (2) supporting the discovery process by indexing and organizing discovery materials; transmitting discovery productions; maintaining discovery logs; and tracking productions to opposing counsel; (3) assisting with hearing and trial preparation by compiling, organizing, and indexing evidentiary exhibits; preparing witness and exhibit lists; and assembling trial notebooks; and (4) assisting with trial preparation and courtroom presentations by preparing trial exhibits such as charts, graphs, and timelines and presenting trial exhibits in court using trial presentation software. Education: Successful completion of one (1) full year of progressively higher level graduate education (18 semester hours or the number of units your school uses to describe one graduate year of academic study) in related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Law, IT) leading to a Master's degree OR completed Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement. Superior academic achievement is as follows: standing in the upper third of your graduating class or major subdivision OR membership in one of the national scholastic honor Societies; OR Grade Point Average. Applicants must have a grade point average of: (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Combining Education and Experience: A combination of experience and graduate level education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. (Only graduate education in excess of one full year is creditable.) GS-09: To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal service. Specialized experience includes: (1) drafting routine legal documents and correspondence such as routine motions, pretrial filings, summonses, or subpoenas; (2) managing discovery materials in multiple formats and utilizing appropriate software applications to organize, store, review, and manage discovery and evidence; (3) assisting attorneys with preliminary review of incoming discovery or evidentiary materials and identifying information relevant to assigned criminal or civil cases; (4) conducting factual and noncomplex legal research in legal and non-legal databases in support of investigations and cases; (5) assisting with hearing or trial preparation by preparing trial subpoenas, assembling evidentiary exhibits, and preparing demonstrative exhibits; and (6) supporting attorneys during court proceedings or other live case presentations by operating trial presentation software and equipment to display exhibits or demonstratives, maintaining exhibit accounting systems, and coordinating witness logistics. Education: one of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Law, IT): Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Combining Education and Experience: A combination of experience and graduate level education can be used if, when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. (Only graduate education in excess of one full year is creditable.) 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 http://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 http://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. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your complete application package (resume/supporting documentation, online questionnaire, and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment) will be evaluated and rated using DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. In addition, qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more are placed at the top of the highest quality category (i.e., Best Qualified). You will be rated on the following Competencies (see The OPM Website for definitions): Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Other 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; 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.