Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Charleston, WV

About The Position

The Legal Assistant (Office Automation) serves in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, supporting Assistant United States Attorneys with legal assistance and office support. Training may be provided formally and/or on the job. Responsibilities and assignments grow in complexity as training and experience progress. The role involves preparing and processing legal documents, proofreading and cite-checking materials, assisting with trial preparation and research, organizing records, tracking case deadlines, arranging travel, and producing written materials using office software. The position may be filled at the GS-5, GS-6, or GS-7 level, subject to the applicable qualifications. At GS-7, applicants must type at least 40 words per minute with no more than three errors on a five-minute sample.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or national status.
Meet the applicable GS-level qualifications: GS-5 requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, four years of education above high school, or an allowed 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 at the applicable level includes legal-document review and preparation, maintaining and retrieving files, obtaining information from reference sources, assembling hearing or trial materials, legal research, and use of automated software to produce legal documents and reports.
For GS-7 qualification, type at least 40 words per minute on a five-minute sample with three or fewer errors; a typing test may be required.
Meet time-in-grade requirements if applicable to federal employees.
Meet qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date and before placement.
Satisfactorily complete pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit, and tax checks and drug testing; continued employment depends on a favorable background investigation.
Register for Selective Service if applicable.
A one-year probationary period may be required.
Academic degrees and coursework used to meet education requirements must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. education.

Responsibilities

Examine, prepare, and process technical legal documents, including complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels.
Proofread and cite-check briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents for accuracy and compliance with legal standards.
Assist attorneys with trial preparation, including non-complex research into litigation, statutes, regulations, and court cases.
Assemble exhibits, affidavits, and other documents needed for court proceedings.
Organize and maintain files and records for disposition or transfer to a records depository.
Maintain calendars for assigned active cases and track filing, hearing, and trial deadlines.
Schedule conferences and interviews.
Arrange travel by preparing itineraries and securing transportation and hotel reservations.
Produce written documents and materials using a range of office software applications.