Legal Administrative Specialist

About the role

The Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices offer a supportive environment for legal professionals. For more information, visit this link. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Responsibilities

• Serving as the primary support specialist responsible for managing incoming and outgoing discovery in civil matters, including by coordinating with agency partners and witnesses to collect materials, reviewing incoming materials to assess responsiveness, organizing complex and voluminous materials for efficient review by the case team, preparing materials for production, and maintaining detailed indices of materials received and produced.
• Analyzing and summarizing evidentiary materials, including witness statements and documentary records, drawing upon knowledge of the legal and factual issues in the Government's case.
• Assisting attorneys with interview, deposition, hearing, and trial preparation, and assisting during live court proceedings, such as by drafting subpoenas, assembling and managing exhibits, proofreading and cite checking briefs, and operating trial presentation software in the courtroom.
• Carrying out legal and factual research in support of civil cases and drafting a variety of legal documents such as discovery requests and routine motions, proposed orders, and notices.
• Providing administrative support for civil cases, including tracking case deadlines and court appearances, maintaining case files, and entering information into case management software.
• Arranging travel by preparing itineraries and securing transportation and hotel reservations.

Requirements

• Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service or private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience working in a legal environment performing routine legal assistance that demonstrates a basic knowledge of litigation procedures. Examples of specialized experience include: assisting attorneys by preparing routine legal documents (e.g., basic motions, notices, subpoenas, proposed orders, or routine correspondence); 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 evidentiary exhibits; compiling witness and exhibit lists; and assembling trial notebooks; assisting attorneys with case development, such as by performing basic legal or factual research or preparing summaries of evidentiary materials.
• Education: One of the following types of education: 1 full year of graduate level education in related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Paralegal Sciences, Law); 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; 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.
• Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

Qualifications

• Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service or private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience working in a legal environment performing routine legal assistance that demonstrates a basic knowledge of litigation procedures. Examples of specialized experience include: assisting attorneys by preparing routine legal documents (e.g., basic motions, notices, subpoenas, proposed orders, or routine correspondence); 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 evidentiary exhibits; compiling witness and exhibit lists; and assembling trial notebooks; assisting attorneys with case development, such as by performing basic legal or factual research or preparing summaries of evidentiary materials.
• Education: One of the following types of education: 1 full year of graduate level education in related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Paralegal Sciences, Law); 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; 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.
• Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.