Legal Assistant (OA)

Full Job Description

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.

GS-7: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience providing support to attorneys by preparing complaints, answers, motions, subpoenas, orders, or other hearing and/or trial documents accurately and in proper format; verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents; assisting with discovery, hearing or trial preparation by performing duties such as compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; and using software applications and legal and non-legal databases to produce legal related reports and documents, conduct factual research, develop tables of contents and indices to briefs, and prepare courtroom presentations.

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this series/grade level.

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.) GS-8: To be eligible at the GS-8 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience supporting attorneys by preparing and processing a variety of technical legal correspondence and documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format (e.g.

pleadings, stipulations, motions, briefs, affidavits, and other legal documents); obtaining information from files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources; conducting factual and legal research in legal and non-legal databases and providing requested information to attorneys; aiding in the preparation and organization of evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial; managing paper and electronic discovery and evidence; independently compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; and coding and indexing discovery documents using legal case management software.

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this series/grade level.

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/. Major Duties:

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing a variety of legal assistance and office support services for Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) assigned to the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

The Civil Division attorneys represent the United States in all aspects of civil litigation where the United States is a defendant as well as affirmative cases in which the United States seeks to recover damages or civil penalties.

This position will primarily support Affirmative Civil Enforcement and defensive litigation.

Duties include: examining, preparing and processing a variety of technical legal documents, e.g., complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, and subpoenas; proofreading and cite checking legal briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents; providing assistance to attorneys in trial preparation by conducting non-complex research of litigation, statutes, regulations and court cases; assembling exhibits, affidavits, and other legal documents; assembling and organizing files and records material for disposition or transfer to records depository; maintaining calendar of assigned active cases; tracking filing, hearing, and trials dates, and scheduling conferences and interviews; arranging travel by preparing itinerary and securing transportation and hotel reservations; and producing a variety of written documents and materials using a wide range of office software applications.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.