Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

Legal Assistance Position

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit

This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 23-MSS-11900624-MS.

Learn more about this agency

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

03/29/2023 to 04/04/2023

Salary

$46,696 - $60,703 per year

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Jackson, MS

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent -

Work schedule

Full-time -

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

8

Job family (Series)

0986 Legal Assistance

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Confidential

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

Announcement number

23-MSS-11900623-DE

Control number

716055200

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team in the Asset Recovery Section that is responsible for Financial Litigation. Typical duties will include:

Providing a variety of legal assistance and office support services to Attorneys;

Examining, preparing and processing a variety of technical legal documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format;

Reviewing incoming material and determining the needs for assembly and preparation of a variety of legal documents, e.g., complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels;

Initiating contact with debtors concerning payment of their obligations, their ability to pay and negotiating written payment schedules to assure successful collection of debts;

Conducting legal research and searching legal precedent in indices and computerized legal reference systems and listing cited cases, opinions and miscellaneous references in briefs;

Reviewing, evaluating and verifying debtors account status and payment transactions;

Interpreting and enforcing judgments in criminal cases, and independently performing all functions to collect amounts imposed as a result of the prosecution of criminal cases;

Aiding in preparing and organizing evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial;

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.

Requirements

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 have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level.

Specialized experience is defined as experience providing trial support to attorneys by preparing complaints, 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, provides technical processing activities associated with debt collection for criminal and/or civil debts; and drafts and/or prepares letters, forms and reports necessary to initiate the collection of debts.

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:

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

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

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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.

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: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability