Legal Administrative Specialist

As Legal Administrative Specialist, at the full performance level you will perform the following duties:

• Provide expert legal support in the drafting, review, and processing of legal documents, including motions and briefs; management of case files; docket management; and gathering and analysis of data in support of a variety of legal cases and operational needs.
• Perform an extensive variety of legal administrative support for Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) attorneys involved in litigation and other law related activities
• Manage workload that is time sensitive and critical to the support of the work performed by the attorneys.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• A pre-employment drug test will be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Complete the initial online assessments and USA Hire Assessment, if required.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-07:
Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service that included performing at least 2 of the following:

1. Performing a variety of legal administrative support activities for attorneys involved in litigation or other law related activities;
2. Assisting with tracking court dockets, cases, hearings, depositions and/or other legal administrative matters; and
3. Assisting with the preparation and maintenance of case files.

OR
Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-09:
Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that included performing at least 3 of the following:

1. Providing legal support in drafting, reviewing, and processing of legal documents;
2. Gathering, organizing, or analyzing data to support the litigation of a variety of cases or the provision of legal advice to clients and other entities; and
3. Performing a variety of legal administrative support activities for attorneys involved in litigation or other law related activities.

OR
Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE: 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.