This position is located in the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. This position provides legal and administrative support for immigration court proceedings through case file review, document processing, courtroom support, and technical assistance on case and hearing procedures. This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.
Duties
The duties and responsibilities for a Legal Administrative Specialist (In-Court Services), GS-0901-9/11 generally include, but are not limited to, the following: Reviews legal case files for scheduled hearings to verify required documents, notices, and case information are complete and available for court proceedings. Processes case actions during real-time court proceedings by organizing and providing required case files and supporting documents to the adjudicating official. Provides technical information on legal notices, hearing schedules, case status, and established court procedures to attorneys, parties, and the public. Maintains official case records by processing filings, updating dockets, authenticating court documents, and retaining or archiving records in accordance with established requirements. Supports courtroom operations by preparing hearing spaces and operating video teleconferencing or internet-based hearing equipment. Processes legal documents and case-related correspondence using automated systems to support motions, petitions, hearing notices, and other case actions. Researches case information and prepares case management reports to support the timely processing and tracking of legal proceedings.
Salary
Qualifications
In order to qualify for the Legal Administrative Specialist (In-Court Services) position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties: Reviewing legal or administrative case files to identify required documents, notices, or information needed for scheduled proceedings; Processing legal or administrative documents in accordance with established policies, procedures, regulations, or filing requirements; Providing technical information to customers or parties concerning case status, hearing schedules, notices, or procedural requirements; and Using automated case management or records systems to update, retrieve, or track case information. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) -OR- Education: Applicants must have completed a master's OR equivalent graduate degree, OR two (2) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or LL.B. or J.D. in a directly related field, that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-09 level. Only graduate education beyond one year, i.e., 18 semester hours, may be combined with experience under this provision. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties: Analyzing legal or administrative case files to identify procedural issues, missing information, or actions needed to support scheduled proceedings; Applying established legal or administrative policies, regulations, precedents, or procedural guidance to resolve case-processing issues with limited supervision; Providing substantive procedural information to staff, customers, or other parties regarding case status, schedules, notices, or administrative requirements; and Evaluating case-processing issues to determine appropriate administrative action when information is incomplete, conflicting, or requires further research. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) -OR- Education: Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. OR equivalent doctoral degree, OR three (3) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or LL.M. in a directly related field, that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the above described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-11 level. Only graduate education beyond two (2) years, i.e., 36 semester hours, may be combined with experience under this provision. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.
Education
ARE YOU USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). You MUST provide a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking, or other documentation to support your educational claims. Applicants can verify accreditation by clicking here: Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. (Note: If you are selected for this position based on education, an official transcript will be required, prior to your first day.) You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Special Instructions for 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. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Translated transcripts are required. In addition, if a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated.
Required Documents
Your complete Application Package (containing the required documents) must be received no later than 11:59 pm Eastern on the closing date. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Your Resume (2 pages) showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. (Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for more details on the resume) A complete Application Questionnaire. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056617 Complete the USA Hire Assessments, you will receive a notification with your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline if an assessment is required. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable to you. Transcripts, if qualifying based on education. (Must include your name, college name and address, courses, dates attended, major and degree, cumulative grade point average (GPA), any honors received, and date the degree was awarded / conferred.) (Please see the Education Section) CTAP/ICTAP documents (Please see the Additional Information section) Veterans Preference Documentation: If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from https://www.va.gov/records/download-va-letters/ or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability. Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Remove photos from badges, licenses, or other documents, as hiring officials may not review documents containing images. Failure to submit all required documents may result in your application being deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your application package is complete. Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salaries above are an approximation.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement 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. Occupational questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056617 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/14/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
