Legal Administrative Specialist

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Responsibilities

• Performing specialized legal research in support of Affirmative Civil Enforcement and/or Defense work;
• Utilizing a variety of eDiscovery and Automated Legal Support software used in the collection, analysis, review and production of electronically stored information;
• Reviewing and evaluating referrals to determine the need for additional information and evidence, and planning a comprehensive approach to obtain this information and evidence;
• Coordinating with client agencies to ensure they collect, review, preserve and provide to the investigative team electronically stored information, which may be used in an investigation or disclosed in discovery;
• Assisting attorneys in pretrial preparations by preparing, scheduling, reviewing, and organizing discovery; notifying, interviewing, and managing witnesses; and researching case law;
• Assisting and/or training attorneys and legal support staff in organizing voluminous case information;
• Assuring documents are organized for efficient automated storage and retrieval by ensuring that electronically stored information obtained from agencies, defendants and third parties in discovery is properly prepared and loaded into discovery databases using specialized procedures and eDiscovery software.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• 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.

Qualifications

GS-7:

To be qualified at the GS-7 grade level you must meet at least one of the following conditions below.

Specialized Experience: at least one full year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Assisting in reviewing electronically stored information (ESI) obtained in discovery for data integrity, completeness, and corruption, identifying and implementing corrective action;
• Utilizing a variety of eDiscovery and Automated Legal Support software used in the collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (e.g., IPRO Eclipse SE, RELATIVITY, LexisNexis, CASEMAP, TIMEMAP, NOTEMAP and similar software);
• Drafting correspondence and legal documents;
• Performing legal research including research and analysis of statutes, legislative intent, judicial precedents, agency rules and regulations, and law review articles as they relate to assigned cases.

OR

Education: one full year of graduate level education in a related field (Criminal Justice or Law); or a bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g. Criminal Justice or Law); or expect to complete within 9 months AND meet one of the following Superior Academic Achievement provisions:

• Class standing in the upper one-third of the graduating class;
• A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher as recorded on the official transcript, or computed based on courses completed during the final two full years of the curriculum;
• A GPA of 3.5 or higher based on the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in a major field completed during the final two years of curriculum;
• Election to a membership in a national scholastic honor society.

(NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts and/or verification of class standing for further verification.)

OR

Combining Education and Experience: a combination of specialized experience as described above and education as described above which when combined equal 100% of the requirements.

GS-9:

To be qualified at the GS-9 grade level you must meet at least one of the following conditions below.

Specialized Experience: At least one full year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Reviewing electronically stored information (ESI) obtained in discovery for data integrity, completeness, and corruption, identifying and implementing corrective action;
• Utilizing a variety of eDiscovery and Automated Legal Support software used in the collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (e.g., IPRO Eclipse SE, RELATIVITY, LexisNexis, CASEMAP, TIMEMAP, NOTEMAP and similar software);
• Maintaining electronic and physical case files;
• Drafting correspondence and legal documents;
• Performing legal research including research and analysis of statutes, legislative intent, judicial precedents, agency rules and regulations, and law review articles as they relate to assigned cases;
• Advising on the methods of preservation, collection, retrieval, analysis, review, production and duplication of eDiscovery materials for each case.

OR

Education: Education in a related field: a J.D. or LL.B; OR a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or higher (in a related field, e.g. Law, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Business Administration); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of specialized experience and graduate education which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. (Only graduate education in excess of 1 full year is creditable.)

Benefits

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.

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 http://www.ed.gov.

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. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.