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 (AUSA) by providing legal assistance and office support. The position includes formal and/or on-the-job training as needed. Responsibilities increase in complexity as training and experience progress. This is a career ladder opportunity with a full performance level of GS-07. 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 the availability of higher-level work; promotion is not guaranteed.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or nationality.
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.
May be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Federal employees must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date.
Must meet qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date and before placement.
GS-5: At least 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.
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 to obtain or verify information; and using automated software to produce legal-related reports, documents, correspondence, and related materials.
GS-7: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6, including preparing hearing or trial documents accurately and in proper format; verifying citations and statutory references; assisting with discovery, hearing, or trial preparation; and using software and legal and non-legal databases to produce documents, conduct factual research, develop tables of contents and indices, and prepare courtroom presentations.
Type at least 40 words per minute on a five-minute sample with three or fewer errors; a typing test may be required.
Academic degrees and coursework used to meet education requirements 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. accredited education, with supporting credential evaluation documentation; documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Nice To Haves

Recruitment incentives may be authorized if the position is determined difficult to fill, supported by the selected candidate’s skills, and funds are available.
A relocation incentive may be considered based on qualifications.

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 a range of office software applications.