Legal Administrative Specialist

Summary

The Recent Graduates (RG) Program is a dynamic, one-year developmental program that promotes careers in the Federal Government. If you have graduated from a qualifying educational institution or certificate program within the last two years, you may be eligible for the RG program which offers paid career development, training and mentorship opportunities. The purpose of the position is to serve as a Legal Administrative Specialist at the Fraud Division's national headquarters in Washington, DC.

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Duties

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The duties and responsibilities for a Legal Administrative Specialist in the Pathways program generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Interpreting and applying pertinent laws, regulations, and policies which govern and affect the Fraud Division's jurisdiction, activity, and public image.
• Preparing well researched and logically organized presentations related to work assignments, presenting facts, issues, and positions with the appropriate diplomacy and emphasis.
• Exchanging and developing information, resolving discrepancies, and making recommendations about conflicting research materials.
• Consolidating program information into presentation format.

REQUIREMENTS

This vacancy is open to RECENT GRADUATES, who have graduated, within the previous two years, (with an associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, diploma, vocational, technical degree, or certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical educational program including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps).

-OR-

Any veteran released or discharged from active duty within the previous two years, but due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying for a recent graduate position during any portion of the two-year eligibility period following completion of applicable degree, and not more than six years have transpired since completing the requirements for the degree.

Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Pathways Guidelines. You can also visit: for additional qualification standards.

CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOJ has the option to non-competitively convert a Recent Graduate to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to a permanent or term position you must:

• Be a US Citizen or National
• Be recommended for conversion by your manager or supervisor.
• Complete 40 formal interactive hours of training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period.
• Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service.
• Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted (which may include a positive education requirement).
• A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion.

Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You must successfully pass a security/background investigation and drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year trial/probationary period. See "Additional Information" section for specific details.
• If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at:
• A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.
• Must be in good academic standing as defined by their academic institution.
• Individual must, within the previous two years, have completed a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution, which may include...
• ...qualifying career and technical education programs (Registered Apprenticeships, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and similar programs).
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
• A financial disclosure will be required.

Qualifications

In addition to the requirements above, you must also meet the specific qualifications requirements for this announcement described in the Qualifications section below. Please pay careful attention to the entire announcement to ensure you understand these requirements.

To qualify for the position of Legal Administrative Specialist , GS-0901-5/7/9you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below AND possess the required specialized experience specific to this series and grade.

To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be:

• A recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized postsecondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps).

-OR-

• Preference eligible veterans who have been precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD-214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation.

To qualify for the GS-5 Legal Administrative specialist you must possess at least one of the following:

• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector working in a team environment to provide basic administrative assistance to the team and/or supervising stakeholders.
• A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in a related field.
• A combination of education and experience.

To qualify for the GS-7 Legal Administrative specialist you must possess at least one of the following:

• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector independently developing, organizing and/or maintaining current systems or research aids.
• At least 1 full year of graduate level education in a related field.
• Superior Academic Achievement.
• A combination of education and experience

To qualify for the GS-7 Legal Administrative specialist you must possess at least one of the following:

• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector consolidating information and/or data points into presentation format.
• A Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field.
• 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field.
• A LL.B. or J.D., if related.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/17/2026.

Your resume must support your responses to the application 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.

Education

To be eligible for an appointment, you must meet Education requirement A or B.

A. Completed all requirements for a diploma, associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical education program (including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps) within the previous two years.

OR

B. Was released or discharged from active duty within the previous two years, where the applicant is a veteran who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying for a recent graduate position during any portion of the two-year eligibility period following completion of his/her degree or certificate requirements, provided that not more than six years have transpired since the applicant completed the requirements for a degree or certification.

You must submit an academic transcript from your academic institution showing the date that you most recently completed the academic requirements described above.

*For Accredited Post-Secondary Institutions, click Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs

*For Registered State Apprenticeship Programs Information, click State Apprenticeship Programs

*For Other Apprenticeship Programs, click Apprenticeship Programs

*For Industry-Endorsed Certificate Programs, click Career One Stop Certificate Finder

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

FOREIGN EDUCATION : Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

1) your performance and conduct;

2) the needs and interests of the agency;

3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and

4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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:

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: 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. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here:

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to Weston Sperbeck at View email address on click.appcast.io. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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.

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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.

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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.