Legal Assistant (Magistrate Court)

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys • Dallas, TX

20h

About The Position

The Legal Assistant serves as the United States Attorney’s Office Magistrate Court Coordinator and liaison between the USAO and Magistrate Court. The position manages court dockets and performs legal and administrative support duties. Work includes preparing and processing legal correspondence and documents, gathering information from case files and other sources, conducting factual and legal research, organizing evidence, tracking case activity and deadlines, coordinating hearing coverage, and assisting with defendant movement for meetings with Assistant United States Attorneys. Responsibilities and assignments become more complex as training and experience progress.

Requirements

• Must be a United States Citizen or National.
• For GS-7, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level.
• Specialized experience includes preparing evidence summaries concerning probable federal-law violations; obtaining information and submitting legal documents; reviewing incoming material and independently determining the need to assemble and prepare legal documents such as complaints, search warrants, motions, orders, pleadings, and subpoenas; searching legal indices and computerized reference systems for precedent; assisting with evidence preparation and organization for discovery and trial; preparing trial exhibits such as statistical charts, graphs, and timelines; and ensuring hearings on court dockets have coverage.
• Must complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check, including drug screening.
• May be required to complete a probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on or after December 31, 1959, unless an approved exemption is on file.
• Must meet all eligibility requirements, including time-in-grade for current Federal employees, by the announcement closing date and continue to meet them throughout the hiring process.
• Must complete the required USA Hire assessment within 48 hours of the announcement closing date.

Responsibilities

• Examine, prepare, and process technical legal correspondence and other legal documents.
• Prepare evidence summaries indicating probable violations of federal laws.
• Obtain information from files, law enforcement agencies, and other sources, and submit completed legal documents to the appropriate AUSA or, in limited cases, directly to the court.
• Respond to attorney requests and conduct factual and legal research in legal and non-legal databases.
• Assist in preparing and organizing evidence for discovery and trial.
• Track case status, filings, hearings, trial deadlines and dates, and schedule conferences and interviews.
• Coordinate with the victim-witness specialist and notify appropriate individuals about victim-witness issues.
• Receive visitors and telephone callers.
• Manage and track court hearings and ensure that hearings on court dockets have coverage.
• Assist in coordinating defendant movement from local or State prisons, or the Bureau of Prisons, to meet with AUSAs.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefit eligibility depends on position type.
• A recruitment incentive may be considered based on qualifications and agency policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed