Legal Assistant

Summary This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 150 applications have been received or on the closing date, whichever is first. Responsibilities WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY As a Legal Assistant, you will use your knowledge and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by: Applying extensive rules, regulations and procedures applying to Medicare Part A, B, C and D appeals. Communicating effectively orally and in writing in order to provide information to assist appellants and their representatives; coordinating on the status of case management milestones with office staff and service providers; and locating and obtaining additional information necessary to case records. Entering and maintaining case records in the automated case management system and related data bases. Providing adjudication and clerical support to office, mailroom staff, other docketing staff, and supervisors using a wide variety of automated systems and office equipment. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GS-07 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Providing a wide variety of complex legal support functions necessary to assist Adjudicators and support staff in the timely adjudication of legal cases. Comprehending and interpreting legal terminology, legal document format, and case materials. Entering and maintaining case records in an automated case management system and related data bases. GS-08 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Capturing all relevant legal and case-specific details from materials submitted and establishes linkages to case history and submitted documents. Resolving problems or issues related to case processing, including making telephones calls, sending emails, or creating and mailing correspondence. Managing and organizing information by independently examining, preparing, and processing complex legal documents. Participating with leadership in identifying legal and office procedures and workflow patterns that can be improved through the application of automated business processes. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website Education Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed. Additional Information THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. Bargaining Unit Position: No Research position: No Drug Screening Required: No Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. Veterans' Preference - Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position. Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures. Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. 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 that to the Human Resources Office. Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. For Résumé Tips visit: For Application Tips visit: For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial. For Most Effective Resumes Tips visit: