Legal Assistant (OA), Offices, Boards and Divisions, Washington, DC


Offices, Boards and Divisions -
N/A
Washington, DC, US
N/A

Legal Assistant (OA)

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Wildlife and Marine Resources Section. The Section litigates complex civil cases under federal wildlife laws and laws concerning the protection of marine fish and mammals, including the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The incumbent will perform legal support tasks associated with Section litigation.

This job is open to

  • Federal employees - Competitive service

    Current or former competitive service federal employees.


Clarification from the agency

Federal Status candidates, VEOA eligibles, certain Military Spouses, Individuals with Disabilities, applicants eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, and applicants eligible under other special appointment authorities.

Duties

This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with Announcement# ENRD-24-035-DE for applicants who DO NOT have Federal status. Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible to apply. Note: Applicants must apply separately for each announcement.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

As a Legal Assistant, you will join a well-respected team of Legal Assistants who are responsible for performing a wide range of administrative and legal support tasks to support the Section's federal district court litigation practice:
  • Reviewing and analyzing case materials to become familiar with the case or matter.
  • Creating and maintaining litigation case files of pleadings, discovery documents, and correspondence.
  • Organizing and maintaining legal and other reference materials.
  • Utilizing word processing software including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat to draft, edit, and prepare a variety of routine documents and correspondence.
  • Utilizing automated legal databases, including Relativity, Westlaw, Lexis, or other similar database to conduct searches for or retrieve legal documents, court cases, and statutory references.
  • Retrieving, organizing, and assembling trial exhibits, affidavits, legal documents, briefing books, and other case materials to prepare for trials or other litigation projects.
  • Arranging travel reservations; preparing and completing necessary travel authorizations and vouchers; and coordinating with appropriate offices to ensure prompt payment.
  • Directing inquiries from visitors and callers to the appropriate individuals for action.
  • Preparing correspondence and administrative forms using proper format, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
  • Conveying information to customers and staff in a clear and convincing manner.
  • Composing routine legal documents e.g., motions or requests for extension of time or proposed orders, requiring knowledge of legal procedures.
  • Facilitating the exchange of information between litigation support staff, paralegals, and attorneys.


Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  • You must complete a background investigation to include drug testing.
  • Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
  • You must complete or have completed a one-year probationary period.
  • You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.
  • Telework available in accordance with agency policy.


Qualifications

To qualify for GS-6, you must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-5 Federal grade level or above composing standardized legal forms needed for specific actions; preparing trial exhibits, affidavits, and legal documents in preparation for trials; and maintaining litigation case files. There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-6 grade level.

To qualify for GS-7, you must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-6 Federal grade level or above conducting searches of legal documents and court cases; verifying statutory references and legal citations; and developing tables of authorities, tables of contents, and indices to briefs; OR

One full year of graduate level education directly related to the work of the position (e.g., law or paralegal studies) may be substituted for the specialized experience; OR

A combination of specialized experience and directly related graduate education may also be used to meet 100% of the qualification requirements at GS-7. Note: Nine (9) semester hours of graduate education directly related to the work of the position is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.

Typing Requirement: This position requires a qualified typist with a minimum typing speed of 40 words per minute. If you do not self-certify on the occupational/assessment questionnaire that you have the required typing proficiency, you will be rated ineligible for this position. This position requires office automation skills. Some examples of office automation skills include database management and various word processing software packages (MS Office Suite: Excel, PowerPoint, and Word) and database applications.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skill and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time in Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements (one year at the next lower grade) by the closing date of announcement.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

To preview questions, please click here:

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

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

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Career Transition Programs: The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have received written notification of your eligibility for consideration under CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position if you are well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. You can find additional information at:

Military Spouses:You're eligible if you are a spouse of an active duty member of the armed forces; a spouse of a service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury; or a spouse of a service member killed while on active duty. You must meet certain criteria for each of these eligibility categories. Learn more about the specific criteria for military spouses

Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to ...@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com

Land Management applicants on a time-limited appointment are eligible to apply. The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, P.L. 114-47 was signed into law on August 7, 2015, allowing certain individuals who currently are or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies to compete for permanent positions in the competitive service at a land management agency, or any other agency, under merit promotion procedures.

Benefits: DOJ 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.

General Employment Information:
  1. DOJ EEO STATEMENT: The U.S. Department of Justice fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, find our EEO statement online at:
  2. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.


  • 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.


How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Applies Technology to Tasks
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Database Management Systems
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Legal,Government and Jurisprudence
  • Oral Communication
  • Performance & Awards
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Writing


Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:

*Note: Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.

  • 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.
  • Required Documents

    As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

    You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
    • Official position title;
    • Employer name and contact information;
    • Start and end dates (month and year);
    • A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
    • Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
    • Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.

    Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.

    To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

    1. Resum (Cover letter optional)
    2. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, change in tenure, within-grade increase, or promotion, whichever is most recent. An Award or General Pay Adjustment action will not suffice.
    3. An unofficial graduate transcript if you are using education to meet the minimum qualification @ GS-7
    4. For Federal employees, performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months
    5. Veteran preference documentation, if applicable for VEOA consideration
    6. Schedule A documentation, if applicable
    7. For Land Management Eligibles, submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 or equivalent proving eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
    8. Supporting documents, if applicable for other special appointment authorities
    9. CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable
    10. Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire

    If you are using education to qualify for this position for the GS-7 Only:

    1. You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
    2. Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
    3. Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
    4. If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.

    If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:

    1. Submit all DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Member-4 Copy) forms.
    2. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating you will need to submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
    3. If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter.
    4. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.

    If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:

    1. You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
    2. You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
    3. For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site.

    If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

    1. You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
    2. If you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
    3. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found at

    Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

    Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

    • Classified or government sensitive information
    • Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Photos of yourself
    • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
    • Encrypted and digitally signed documents

    If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate content, you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • How to Apply

    Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
    1. Click the Apply Online button.
    2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
    3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
    4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application.The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email.The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
    5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link.Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
    6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
    7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
    8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment.If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

    For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources:

    To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

    To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

    Agency contact information

    Carmen Browne

    Phone

    (202) ###-####

    Email

    ...@usdoj.gov

    Address

    Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

    150 M Street NE

    Washington, DC 20002

    US

    Next steps

    Based on your qualifications and assessment scores, after a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
  • Fair and Transparent

    The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

    • Criminal history inquiries
    • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
    • Financial suitability
    • New employee probationary period
    • Privacy Act
    • Reasonable accommodation policy
    • Selective Service
    • Signature and false statements
    • Social security number request


Required Documents

You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
  • Official position title;
  • Employer name and contact information;
  • Start and end dates (month and year);
  • A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
  • Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
  • Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.

Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

  1. Resum (Cover letter optional)
  2. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, change in tenure, within-grade increase, or promotion, whichever is most recent. An Award or General Pay Adjustment action will not suffice.
  3. An unofficial graduate transcript if you are using education to meet the minimum qualification @ GS-7
  4. For Federal employees, performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months
  5. Veteran preference documentation, if applicable for VEOA consideration
  6. Schedule A documentation, if applicable
  7. For Land Management Eligibles, submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 or equivalent proving eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
  8. Supporting documents, if applicable for other special appointment authorities
  9. CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable
  10. Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire

If you are using education to qualify for this position for the GS-7 Only:

  1. You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
  2. Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
  3. Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
  4. If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.

If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:

  1. Submit all DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Member-4 Copy) forms.
  2. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating you will need to submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
  3. If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter.
  4. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.

If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:

  1. You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
  2. You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
  3. For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site.

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

  1. You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
  2. If you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
  3. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found at

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate content, you may not be considered for this vacancy.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
  4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application.The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email.The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link.Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
  8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment.If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources:

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Agency contact information

Carmen Browne

Phone

(202) ###-####

Email

...@usdoj.gov

Address

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

150 M Street NE

Washington, DC 20002

US

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Full-time 2024-07-24
N/A
N/A
USD

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