Legal Administrative Specialist

Summary For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit Summary For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit 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-WDTX-13016967-MS. Duties Help As a Legal Administrative Specialist, you will assist Assistant United States Attorneys with cases involving illegal immigration, drug trafficking, human trafficking, firearms trafficking, human smuggling, and transnational organized crime, including Mexican drug cartels. Duties At the full performance level, you will support civil and criminal litigation teams by performing litigation support duties necessary to process electronic discovery and prepare it for review and production, using a variety of litigation support software applications and methods requiring analysis of needs to determine appropriate methods to be used. If selected, you will receive formal and/or on-the-job training as needed. Duties include: Providing guidance to litigation teams on strategies and appropriate software tools for effectively organizing, storing, preserving, collecting, processing, reviewing, producing, and presenting electronic case materials. Using specialized software applications to perform processing on various types of electronically stored information for purposes of discovery by consulting with litigation teams to understand case needs and technical requirements to develop a processing plan to best suit those needs. Designing, building, and maintaining document review databases, to include creating, modifying, importing, and exporting load files by consulting with litigation teams to understand case needs and technical requirements, and designing document review databases to best suit those needs. Providing guidance and training teams on database functions. Generating electronic discovery productions (e.g., Bates-numbered images and searchable text or industry standard load files) that comply with court orders and meet the technical needs of litigation teams. Providing technical assistance to litigation teams presenting or filing electronic evidence or exhibits in legal proceedings, including creating electronic versions of exhibits, loading exhibits into courtroom presentation software, setting up courtroom presentation equipment, and assisting with the creation of demonstrative exhibits and audio or video clips. Providing customer support services, including troubleshooting, user assistance, and training, to litigation teams relating to their use of litigation support software applications. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. If selected at the GS-7/9 level: Non-competitive promotion to the next higher grade level is dependent upon 1) satisfactory completion of the training requirements, 2) demonstrated ability to perform the duties at the next higher grade level, 3) fulfillment of all Office of Personnel Management (OPM) legal and regulatory requirements for promotion, and 4) recommendation for promotion by the supervisor. A locally developed Individual Development Plan (IDP) will be established for the incumbent. This plan will be designed to provide the individual selected with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and develop their skills to meet the full performance level of the Legal Administrative Specialist (Litigation Support), GS-0901-11. Requirements Help Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. 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 equivalent paid/nonpaid experience in the private or public sector. Specialized Experience Is Defined As Experience Working In a Legal Environment Performing Routine Legal Assistance Or Computer Support Assignments Which Demonstrate a Basic Knowledge Of Litigative Procedures. Examples Of Specialized Experiences Include Assisting attorneys by preparing routine legal documents, such as basic motions, notices, subpoenas, proposed orders, or routine correspondence; assisting attorneys by storing, protecting, and tracking pleadings and work products; assisting attorneys with the discovery process, such as by indexing and organizing discovery items received; transmitting discovery productions, maintaining discovery logs and tracking productions to opposing counsel; assisting attorneys with hearing and trial preparation such as by compiling, organizing and indexing various evidentiary exhibits; compiling witness and exhibit lists; and assembling trial notebooks; assisting attorneys with courtroom presentations by setting up and operating courtroom presentation tools; providing support with computer programs to customers involved in litigation; using a computer software application in a legal environment to provide reports or presentations; or maintaining and retrieving information from a database in a legal environment. Education : One full year of graduate level education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Paralegal Sciences, Law) leading to a Master's degree or higher. Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Superior Academic Achievement : Possess a Bachelor's Degree or expect to complete the requirements for a Bachelor's degree within the next 9 months AND possess at least one of the following criteria: class standing in the upper third of the graduating class; 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 election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. 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, OR 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 equivalent paid/nonpaid experience in the private or public sector. Specialized Experience Is Defined As Experience, Working Under Supervision And Guidance, Performing Routine Litigation Support Assignments In Support Of Discovery, Which Require a Basic Knowledge Of Processing, Review, And/or Production Of Commonly Found Electronically Stored Information (ESI). Examples Of Specialized Experiences Include using industry standard litigation support technology (such as Everlaw, LAW Pre-Discovery, or Nuix) to process commonly-found electronic file formats (e.g., PDF, MS Office, emails, etc.), load processed discovery into databases, and/or generate electronic discovery productions in support of investigations and litigations; building and maintaining evidence databases using industry standard document review software (such as Everlaw, iPro Eclipse, or Relativity); or providing customer support to case team members on using technology to organize, review, produce, and/or present case information. Education : One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Paralegal Sciences, Law): a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B.); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. 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 : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year. 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: 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 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 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 All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Additional information Austin - Annual salary range for GS-7 is $51,878 to 67,443; GS-9 is $63,457 to 82,499. Includes 20.35% locality. El Paso - Annual salary range for GS-7 is $50,460 to 65,599; GS-9 is $61,722 to 80,243. Includes 17.06% locality. San Antonio - Annual salary range for GS-7 is $51,201 to 66,563; GS-9 is $62,629 to 81,423. Includes 18.78% locality. 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 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: 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. 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. Help 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. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr