Legal Administrative Specialist

Summary For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit 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-UT-13013050-MS . Duties Help Help The United States Attorney for the District of Utah is responsible for prosecuting all federal crimes committed within the district. The Office also defends the United States, its agencies, officers, and employees in civil actions; enforces the regulatory authority of federal agencies, and recovers funds from individuals who violate criminal, civil and regulatory laws. The Office is divided into four divisions: the Administrative Division, Appellate Division, Civil Division and Criminal Division. At the full performance level, you will serve as the primary support specialist for litigation support in criminal and civil cases by utilizing automated litigation support (ALS) software applications and other resources to organize, review, analyze and compile information for a variety of criminal cases. Typical Work Assignments Will Include Providing technical assistance to Assistant United States Attorney's (AUSA's) in facilitating the management of incoming and outgoing document discovery in accordance with e-Discovery and other procedural requirements. Assisting in eliciting the most complete and useful response from law enforcement agencies, witnesses, victims, and subpoena recipients for discovery purposes. Assisting and/or training attorneys and legal support staff in organizing and processing voluminous case information for efficient retrieval through automated means such as scanning, indexing, and organizing documents in a database. Utilizing a variety of Automated Litigation Support (ALS) software applications to locate, organize, analyze, characterize, and present information that is pertinent to the government's position in the case. Preparing and maintaining a variety of trial-related documents, e.g., witness lists, exhibit lists, jury instructions, and subpoenas, by applying a thorough knowledge of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence and Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and by application of practical legal experience. Providing customer support services to case team members relating to their use of litigation technology applications. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. 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. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing routine litigation support assignments such as assisting with organizing case information, including creating production logs and organizing responses; preparing discovery, including scanning, coding documents and creating CDs; providing support for court proceedings including preparing exhibits, compiling trial notebooks, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; verifying citations; preparing and editing a variety of legal documents; and assisting in the use of technology to organize digital evidence. OR Education: One (1) full year of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a degree in a related field (e.g., Legal Studies, Law, Criminal Justice). 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. OR 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: (1) Class standing- in the upper third of the graduating class in the college or university. (2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) - have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 \"B\" or better) as recorded on 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 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. (3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society - Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies. OR Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. 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. Specialized experience is defined as performing routine and technical litigation support assignments; facilitating the management of incoming and outgoing document discovery; facilitating production of discovery in a timely and effective manner; using automated legal research tools such as Westlaw, Lexis, as well as public information databases to perform basic research of case-specific legal matters; recommending automated support methods for trials; conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to requests; assisting with trial preparation and presentations; and preparing a variety of legal documents. OR Education: Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree in a related field (e.g., Legal Studies, Law, Criminal Justice); or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related. This education was obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR Combination of 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 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. 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. 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