Legal Administrative Specialist (Case Manager)

United States Attorneys' Offices; Las Cruces (NM); On-site; USD 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework (as applicable)

Relocation incentives

Recruitment incentives

Federal benefits

Job summary

United States Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico, is seeking a Case Manager in the Criminal Division to provide legal and administrative support to AUSAs and manage discovery across formats. You will prepare witness summaries, assist with exhibit prep, and support court proceedings using trial presentation tools.

The role offers opportunities to handle increasingly complex tasks as training progresses, with emphasis on timely production and accurate documentation within a federal

Qualifications

• Experience providing legal and administrative support to attorneys and case teams.
• Ability to organize case information and prepare discovery materials.
• Proficiency with trial presentation software and exhibit management.

Responsibilities

• Manage discovery in multiple formats including paper, PDF, image, audio, and video.
• Prepare written summaries of witness statements, recordings, and evidence.
• Draft correspondences requiring legal terminology and procedures.
• Support AUSAs during court proceedings and manage courtroom exhibits.

Skills

Legal and admin support

Discovery management

Courtroom exhibit handling

Trial presentation software

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree or higher

Tools

Relativity

Trial Director

Eclipse

Job description

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

Summary

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 27-NM-13091334-DE.

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Duties

If selected for this position, you will serve as a Case Manager in the Criminal Division providing a wide range of legal and administrative services to one or more Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) involved in a variety criminal matters for the United States Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico. Typical duties include:

• Manages discovery in a variety of formats, including paper documents, PDF files, image files, audio files, video files, forensic reports, proprietary files, and other electronic file types.
• Organizes and prepares written summaries of witness statements and testimony, audio or video recordings, and documentary evidence.
• Composes and proofs correspondence that does not require legal interpretations but does require a working knowledge of legal procedures and specialized terminology.
• Consults with case team members and Litigation Support personnel to understand requirements for discovery or evidence review.
• Independently prepares discovery productions or facilitates preparation by other appropriate staff or vendors to ensure timely preparation to meet production deadlines.
• Provides general administrative support for assigned cases and supports AUSAs during court proceedings or other live case presentations, including by using trial presentation software and courtroom equipment to display exhibits or demonstratives, maintaining accounting system of exhibits entered into evidence, and managing witnesses.

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

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

GS-07: To be eligible at the GS-07 level, you must meet at least ONE (1) of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as performing the following types of duties: providing legal and administrative support to one or more attorneys including preparing and processing routine legal documents; performing routine litigation support assignments such as assisting with organizing case information; preparing discovery including scanning, tagging documents; assisting attorneys in preparing for court such as preparing exhibits for court appearances, compiling witness and exhibit lists and/or documents needed for court proceedings; and establishing and maintaining a variety of files.

OR

Education: Successful completion of one (1) full year of progressively higher level graduate education (18 semester hours or the number of units your school uses to describe one graduate year of academic study) in related field (e.g. Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Law, IT) leading to a master's degree OR bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement. Superior academic achievement is as follows: standing in the upper third of your graduating class or major subdivision OR membership in one of the national scholastic honor Societies; OR Grade Point Average. Applicants must have a grade point average of: (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their 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

Combining Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience as described above, and graduate education described above which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. To calculate your percentage of education, first determine the total number of hours that exceed 18 semester hours or your school's definition of one full year of study. Then divide the total number of your excess semester hours by 18 or your school's definition of one year of study. To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. Transcripts are required.

GS-09: To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must meet at least ONE (1) of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as providing legal and administrative support to one or more attorneys including examining, preparing, editing, cite-checking and processing legal documents, tracking cases, evaluating, producing and presenting discovery. Providing training and support in Legal databases and software (i.e. Eclipse, Relativity, Trial Director, etc). Assisting attorneys with trial preparation to include items such as subpoenas, trial exhibits, information requests, pleadings, and correspondence. Completion of factual legal research in legal and non-legal databases. Receiving visitors and telephone calls. Establishing and maintaining a variety of files.

OR

Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g. Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Law, IT): a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D., if related); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

OR

Combining Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience as described above, and graduate education described above which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. (Please note: Only education in excess of one 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

OR

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Benefits

• Relocation Expenses: Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.
• Relocation Incentive: Relocation incentives may be authorized if this position is determined to be difficult to fill, if supported by the skills of the selected candidate, and subject to the availability of funds.
• Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentives may be authorized if this position is determined to be difficult to fill, if supported by the skills of the selected candidate, and subject to the availability of funds.
• 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/Policy: 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

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. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.