Legal Administrative Specialist

DLA Careers; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 64,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

DLA Careers in Richmond, VA is seeking a Legal Administrative Specialist at the GS-09/11 level to provide comprehensive administrative support to attorneys and staff. The role includes calendar management, travel coordination, drafting of legal communications, and essential research duties.

The position supports the Office of Chief Counsel, requires handling onboarding, records management, meetings, and presentation preparation, and demands U.S. citizenship with federal suitability checks.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience at GS-09 level or equivalent; experience with clerical workflows and admin processes.
• Under supervision, navigate agency manuals, directives, and databases to maintain compliance.
• Draft clear communications, briefings, and correspondence for internal/external stakeholders.
• GS-11 requires experience with complex legal data and ensuring program compliance.
• Advanced degrees may substitute for some experience as described (Master’s or PhD).

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and clerical support to supervisors, attorneys, and staff.
• Manage deadlines, calendars, travel arrangements, and follow-up actions.
• Perform legal research and assist in preparing memoranda and documents.
• Greet visitors and coordinate communications with stakeholders.
• Support onboarding, CAC issuance, IT equipment requests, and mail handling.
• Prepare meetings, minutes, presentations, data spreadsheets, and briefings.

Skills

Workflow analysis

Administrative support

Legal databases

Drafting communications

Agency manuals navigation

Education

Master's degree

Ph.D. degree

Job description

Summary

See below for important information regarding this job.

Position will be filled at any of the locations listed below. Site specific salary information as follows:

• Whitehall, OH: $64,406 - $101,309
• Richmond, VA: $64,475 - $101,417

Duties

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• If selected at the GS-09 level, duties will be performed in a developmental capacity.
• In support of the Office of Chief Counsel, provide administrative and clerical support to supervisors, attorneys, and staff, by managing administrative requirements, preparing correspondence, and ensuring an organized workspace.
• Manage critical office logistics by tracking deadlines, assignments, and follow-up actions; maintaining office calendars; scheduling meetings; coordinating travel arrangements; and monitoring action items to ensure timely completion.
• Conduct legal research and assist in preparing legal memoranda and documents. Assist attorneys and paralegals with large-scale, complex litigation before federal and state courts, administrative tribunals, and the Government Accountability Office.
• Serves as a point of contact for general office inquiries and administrative matters, greet and assist visitors, and maintain effective communication and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support new employee onboarding by coordinating Common Access Card (CAC) issuance and IT equipment requests, delivery, and distribution. Process incoming/outgoing mail and maintain office supplies, inventory, and purchase orders.
• Support meetings and conferences by coordinating room reservations, drafting correspondence, taking in-person meeting minutes, and preparing presentations, data spreadsheets, and briefings to support internal and external communications.
• Develop and implement records management processes for electronic and hard-copy records as directed by the Team Leader. This includes organizing, indexing, filing, retrieving, and disposing of records per retention schedules and policies.

Requirements

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Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Tour of Duty: Set Schedule
• Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
• Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
• Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Bargaining Unit Status: No
• Selectees are required to have a REAL ID or other acceptable identification documents to access certain federal facilities. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for more information.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Legal Administrative Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support:

• Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-09 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:

Gs-09

• Analyzing, evaluating, clerical workflows and administrative support processes.
• Under supervision, navigating and apply agency manuals, federal directives, and databases to maintain operational compliance.
• Drafting clear, professional communications, briefings, and correspondence for internal and external stakeholders.

GS-11

• Analyzing, evaluating complex legal data with high precision, successfully streamlining administrative workflows and clerical support systems to maximize overall office efficiency.
• Masterfully navigating and applying agency manuals, directives, and legal databases, serving as the go-to authority to guarantee 100% operational compliance across all programs.
• Developing high-impact briefings, legal correspondence, and professional communications aligning internal and external stakeholders, enhancing collaboration and with executive-level polish.

B. Education Substitution

Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess:

• GS-09: 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., if related.
• GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

C. Combination

Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for grade levels GS-09 and GS-11 and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-09 and GS-11.

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.

Education

Are you using your education to qualify? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

• 302.106, DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R.
• 1194).

For Important General Applicant Information and Definitions go to http://www.dla.mil/portals/104/documents/careers/GenAppInfoDef.pdf

Reemployed Annuitants: This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF

Information for Veterans is available at: https://www.dla.mil/Careers/Programs/. As of 23 December 2016, Military retirees seeking to enter federal service in the Department of Defense now require a waiver if they would be appointed within 180 days following their official date of retirement.

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is committed to maintaining a safe, drug-free workplace. All DLA employees are required to refrain from illegal drug use on and off duty. DLA conducts pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and random drug testing.

Applicants tentatively selected for employment in testing designated positions will undergo a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Refusal to undergo testing or testing positive for illegal drugs will result in withdrawal of the tentative job offer and a six-month denial of employment with DLA from the date of the drug test. Employees in drug testing designated positions are subject to random drug testing. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment. You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

The DLA drug testing panel tests for the following substances: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, heroin, phencyclidine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, fentanyl, norfentanyl, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and opioids.

ADVISORY: Use of cannabidiol (CBD) products may result in a positive drug test for marijuana. DLA employees are subject to Federal law and under Federal law, Marijuana is illegal

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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