Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Albuquerque, NM

15h

About The Position

The Legal Assistant (Office Automation) supports Assistant United States Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico by providing legal assistance and office support services. The office prosecutes federal crimes in the district and works with tribal, state, county, city, and foreign governments to support community safety and prosperity. Formal and/or on-the-job training may be provided. Responsibilities increase in complexity as training and experience progress. The role involves preparing and processing legal documents, proofreading and cite-checking legal materials, conducting non-complex legal research, and helping prepare cases for hearings and trials. It also includes managing case calendars and records, arranging travel, and producing written materials using office software.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or national status.
Satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit, and tax checks, and drug testing; continued employment is subject to a favorable background investigation.
Selective Service registration, if applicable.
Meet the qualifications for at least one grade level: GS-5 requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, four years of education above high school, or a qualifying combination; GS-6 requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5; GS-7 requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6.
Specialized experience for GS-5 includes reviewing documents with legal implications for accuracy and completeness, typing and formatting correspondence and forms, maintaining file systems, and obtaining information from files or reference sources.
Specialized experience for GS-6 includes reviewing legal documents for completeness of factual information, retrieving and assembling information for hearing or trial use, researching legal sources, and using automated software to produce legal-related materials.
Specialized experience for GS-7 includes preparing hearing or trial documents in proper format, verifying citations and statutory references, assisting with discovery and trial preparation, and using software and databases for legal reports, factual research, brief indices, and courtroom presentations.
For GS-7, type at least 40 words per minute on a five-minute sample with three or fewer errors; a typing test may be required.
A one-year probationary period may be required if selected.
All qualification requirements must be met by the announcement closing date.
Education used to qualify must be from an appropriately accredited institution, or foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. accredited education.

Responsibilities

Examine, prepare, and process technical legal documents, including complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels.
Proofread and cite-check legal briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents.
Assist attorneys with trial preparation by conducting non-complex research on litigation, statutes, regulations, and court cases.
Assemble exhibits, affidavits, and other legal documents.
Assemble and organize files and records for disposition or transfer to a records depository.
Maintain calendars for assigned active cases.
Track filing, hearing, and trial dates, and schedule conferences and interviews.
Arrange travel by preparing itineraries and securing transportation and hotel reservations.
Produce written documents and materials using office software applications.
Responsibilities increase in complexity as training and experience progress.