Legal Assistant (OA)

About the Role

This Legal Assistant (OA) provides a wide variety of technical assistance services within the Long Island Criminal Division. If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Legal Assistant (OA) support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, located in Central Islip, New York, focusing in the areas of legal support; legal research; preparation and management of evidence and discovery; case management; and administrative support.

Typical Work Assignments

• Case intake and file management: Opening, organizing, and maintaining both physical and electronic case files; gathering all relevant case information; preparing 6e letters; and creating and managing comprehensive timelines and calendars.
• Drafting and preparing documents: Preparing subpoenas and nondisclosure orders, discovery requests and responses, pleadings, stipulations, motions, briefs, affidavits, and other legal documents.
• Discovery management: Contributing to reports summarizing the case status, including legal issues, factual issues, and case developments.
• Trial support: Aiding in preparing and organizing evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial.
• Administrative and docketing duties: Filing pleadings and briefs with courts via e-filing; monitoring docket entries and court calendars; updating and maintaining assigned attorneys' calendars and time entries; ensuring compliance with filing deadlines and court orders, preparing contracts, tracking all billings, and submitting all case-related expenses for budgeting.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

To Qualify At The GS-07 Level, You Must Possess Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) two of the three duties listed below:

• Providing trial support to attorneys by preparing complaints, motions, subpoenas, orders, or other hearing and/or trial documents accurately and in proper format;
• Assisting with discovery, hearing or trial preparation;
• Conducting non-complex research of legislation, statues, regulations, or court cases.

Typing Proficiency: 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.)

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-06 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 level. You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).

Experience: 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; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• 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.
• A probationary period may be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents.
• Time-in-Grade: Current or former Federal employees applying under merit promotion considerations must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
• As needed, additional selections may be made using this announcement.

Additional Information

• Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.
• Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this High Risk position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (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 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 rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria.
• The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced 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 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 rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria.
• Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouse and Family Members: FedsHireVets - OPM.gov
• Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.
• 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.

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.