Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Honolulu, HI

About The Position

At the full performance level, the Legal Assistant supports Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) by providing legal assistance and office support services. Formal and/or on-the-job training may be provided as needed. The position is a career-ladder opportunity with a full performance level of GS-07. Responsibilities and assignment complexity increase as training and experience progress. Employees selected at a lower grade may be considered for noncompetitive promotion at the supervisor’s discretion, subject to regulatory and legal requirements, satisfactory performance, and availability of higher-level work; promotion is not guaranteed. The role includes preparing and processing legal documents, proofreading and cite checking, conducting non-complex legal research, assisting with trial preparation, maintaining case calendars and records, arranging travel, and producing written materials using office software. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, meet the applicable grade-level qualifications, and type at least 40 words per minute based on a five-minute sample with no more than three errors. Appointment is conditional on satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit, tax, and drug checks; continued employment is subject to a favorable background investigation. Selective Service registration is required if applicable. A one-year probationary period may be required.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or nationality.
Meet the qualification requirements for the applicable grade level by the announcement closing date.
Type at least 40 words per minute on a five-minute sample with three or fewer errors; a typing test may be required.
For GS-5: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, four years of education above high school, or an eligible combination of education and experience. Specialized experience 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 general reference sources.
For GS-6: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5, including reviewing legal documents for completeness of factual information, retrieving and assembling information for hearings or trials, researching legal sources, and using automated software to produce legal-related materials.
For GS-7: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6, including preparing hearing or trial documents, verifying citations and statutory references, assisting with discovery and trial preparation, and using software and legal and non-legal databases to produce documents, conduct factual research, develop brief contents and indices, and prepare courtroom presentations.
Post-high-school education used toward qualifications must be from an accredited or pre-accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. education.
Register for Selective Service if applicable.
Satisfactorily complete pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit, tax, and drug checks; continued employment is subject to favorable background investigation.
Complete a one-year probationary period if required.

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; 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.