Legal Administrative Specialist

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under 26-NDTX-12996503-DE

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team in our Civil Division that is responsible for providing technical and analytical assistance which supports the information management and litigation support needs of the United States Attorney's Office. Typical work assignments will include:

• Performing specialized legal research in support of Affirmative Civil Enforcement and/or Defense work;
• Utilizing a variety of eDiscovery and Automated Legal Support software used in the collection, analysis, review and production of electronically stored information;
• Reviewing and evaluating referrals to determine the need for additional information and evidence, and planning a comprehensive approach to obtain this information and evidence;
• Coordinating with client agencies to ensure they collect, review, preserve and provide to the investigative team electronically stored information, which may be used in an investigation or disclosed in discovery;
• Assisting attorneys in pretrial preparations by preparing, scheduling, reviewing, and organizing discovery; notifying, interviewing, and managing witnesses; and researching case law;
• Assisting and/or training attorneys and legal support staff in organizing voluminous case information;
• Assuring documents are organized for efficient automated storage and retrieval by ensuring that electronically stored information obtained from agencies, defendants and third parties in discovery is properly prepared and loaded into discovery databases using specialized procedures and eDiscovery software.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Salary

• $54,857 - $87,235/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

GS-7: To be qualified at the GS-7 grade level you must meet at least one of the following conditions below.

Specialized Experience: at least one full year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: assisting in reviewing electronically stored information (ESI) obtained in discovery for data integrity, completeness, and corruption, identifying and implementing corrective action; Utilizing a variety of eDiscovery and Automated Legal Support software used in the collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (e.g., IPRO Eclipse SE, RELATIVITY, LexisNexis, CASEMAP, TIMEMAP, NOTEMAP and similar software); Drafting correspondence and legal documents; and performing legal research including research and analysis of statutes, legislative intent, judicial precedents, agency rules and regulations, and law review articles as they relate to assigned cases.

-OR-

Education: one full year of graduate level education in a related field (Criminal Justice or Law; or a bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g. Criminal Justice or Law); or expect to complete within 9 months AND meet one of the following

Superior Academic Achievement provisions: (1) class standing in the upper one-third of the graduating class; (2) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher as recorded on the official transcript, or computed based on courses completed during the final two full years of the curriculum; (3) a GPA of 3.5 or higher based on the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in a major field completed during the final two years of curriculum; or (4) election to a membership in a national scholastic honor society. (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts and/or verification of class standing for further verification.)

-OR-

Combining Education and Experience: a combination of specialized experience as described in A and education as described in B which when combined equal 100% of the requirements.

GS-9: To be qualified at the GS-9 grade level you must meet at least one of the following conditions below.

Specialized Experience: At least one full year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: reviewing electronically stored information (ESI) obtained in discovery for data integrity, completeness, and corruption, identifying and implementing corrective action; Utilizing a variety of eDiscovery and Automated Legal Support software used in the collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (e.g., IPRO Eclipse SE, RELATIVITY, LexisNexis, CASEMAP, TIMEMAP, NOTEMAP and similar software); Maintaining electronic and physical case files; Drafts correspondence and legal documents; performing legal research including research and analysis of statutes, legislative intent, judicial precedents, agency rules and regulations, and law review articles as they relate to assigned cases and Advising on the methods of preservation, collection, retrieval, analysis, review, production and duplication of eDiscovery materials for each case.

-OR-

Education: Education in a related field: a J.D. or LL.B; OR a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or higher (in a related field, e.g. Law, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Business Administration); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.

-OR-

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of specialized experience and graduate education which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. (Only graduate education in excess of 1 full year is creditable.)

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) -VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below . You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments

Education All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office, by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

• Official position title,
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (including month and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

- Required if you meet qualifications based on education: An unofficial college transcript (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day.) and foreign education evaluation documentation, if applicable, as described under the "Qualifications" section of this vacancy announcement.
- Required if you are a current or former Federal employee: a recent copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing title, series, grade, and full performance level (FPL); AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Please note your SF-50 must include your FPL in the remark section (e.g., appointment, reassignment, promotion actions), pay adjustments and awards do not include this information so they are not acceptable.
- Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
- Required, if applicable: VEOA documentation In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates: 1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable).
-Required if applicable: Documentation of Military Spouse Eligibility: Candidates must submit: Documentation verifying marriage. Additional documentation to support eligibility under one of the following categories.

• Spouse of an active-duty member of the armed forces** must submit: Copy of your spouse's active military orders. Spouse's Statement of Service: This statement can be requested through your spouse's Military Personnel Office and must list your spouse's dates of military service, character of service, and expected date of separation.
• Spouse of service member who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected injury must submit: Spouse's DD-214 (Member 4 copy): 'Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.' If the DD-214 is not available, please request a Statement of Service through your spouse's Military Personnel Office. The Statement of Service must list your spouse's dates of military service and character of service. SF-15: 'Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference,' if claiming 10-point preference based on a service-connected disability. A fillable SF-15 can be found on OPM's website. Copy of a statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs or a branch of the military certifying the service member's service-connected disability rating. **Documentation showing the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharged from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent
• Widow of a deceased service member of the armed forces must submit: Spouse's DD-214 (Member 4 copy): 'Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.' If the DD-214 is not available, please request a Statement of Service through your spouse's Military Personnel Office. The Statement of Service must list your spouse's dates of military service and character of service. SF-15: 'Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference,' if claiming 10-point preference based on a service-connected disability. A fillable SF-15 can be found on OPM's website.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/23/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

• To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
• Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
• Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 07/23/2026.
• After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
• If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)
• Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.