Fresh Listing

Posted: February 18, 2026 (1 day ago)

This job was posted recently. Fresh listings typically have less competition.

Legal Administrative Specialist

Offices, Boards and Divisions

Department of Justice

Fresh

Location

Salary

$57,736 - $91,815

per year

Type

Closes

March 4, 2026More DOJ jobs →

GS-9 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $51,332 - $66,732

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-8. Master's degree or 2 years graduate study.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves supporting lawyers in the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney by preparing documents, doing research, and handling administrative tasks related to presidential pardons and clemency cases.

It's a good fit for someone with a background in legal support or administration who enjoys detail-oriented work in a government setting.

Entry-level candidates with a strong bachelor's degree or relevant experience can qualify for the starting grade.

Key Requirements

  • One year of specialized experience at GS-05 level (for GS-07) or GS-07 level (for GS-09), including assisting in preparing legal documents, researching legal inquiries, using office automation for legal materials, providing administrative support to legal personnel, and assisting with legal research or investigations
  • OR for GS-07: One full year of graduate education in a relevant field, superior academic achievement in a bachelor's degree (e.g., GPA 3.0+, upper third class standing, or honor society membership), or a combination of education and experience totaling 100%
  • OR for GS-09: Master's degree, two years of graduate education, LL.B. or J.D., or a combination of education and experience totaling 100%
  • Proficiency in office automation software for producing legal documents
  • Ability to complete USA Hire assessment
  • Meet all qualifications by March 4, 2026

Full Job Description

This position serves as a Legal Administrative Specialist, located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) in Washington, DC.

For over 125 years, the President has requested and received the assistance of the Attorney General and designees in the DOJ in exercising clemency power regarding persons convicted for committing offenses against the United States.

To qualify for the position of Legal Administrative Specialist, at GS-0901-7/9, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.

For GS-0901-07: Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-05 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Assist in preparing legal documents or materials; AND 2) Assist in researching or answering legal inquiries.

OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position.

Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - You must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - You must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on my 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.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - You may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18.

Add the two percentages. For GS-0901-09: Specialized Experience: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Utilize office automation software applications to produce legal documents or materials; 2) Provide administrative support for legal support personnel; AND 3) Assist with legal research or investigation.

OR Education: 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.

in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.

To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12.

Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 03/04/2026 of this announcement. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements.

Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit your application, you will receive notification indicated whether or not the USA Hire assessment is required.

You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 03/04/2026 to complete the assessment which is part of your application. Major Duties:

  • The duties and responsibilities for a Legal Administrative Specialist, GS-0901-07/09, generally include, but are not limited to, the following: Review and investigate applications for the restoration of firearm rights and executive clemency Prepare cases for attorney evaluation Provide legal assistance Research on various related matters and carry out special projects at the direction of a team group/supervisor

Check your resume before applying to catch common mistakes

Browse Similar Jobs

Posted on USAJOBS: 2/18/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/19/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: PARDON-26-12882994-DE