Legal Assistant (OA)

United States Attorneys' Offices; Roanoke (VA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Attorneys' Office, Western District of Virginia, seeks a Legal Assistant (OA) to support attorneys by preparing and processing voluminous and complex legal documents. Responsibilities include proofreading, preparing correspondence, and obtaining information from files and agencies while ensuring accurate formatting.

As training progresses, duties will become more complex with emphasis on applying legal procedures and specialized terminology to various cases.

Qualifications

• Experience reviewing legal documents for completeness and factual accuracy.
• Ability to verify legal citations and statutory references.
• Familiarity with legal procedures and terminology.
• Typing speed may be required for GS-08 position.

Responsibilities

• Review and process legal documents such as complaints, motions, orders and subpoenas for completeness.
• Proofread and cite-check briefs and memoranda.
• Compose original letters using appropriate legal terminology.
• Obtain information from files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources and submit documents to attorneys or courts.
• Search for legal precedent in indices and computerized reference systems.
• Assist in factual research using computerized databases.
• Conduct skip tracing to locate debtors as needed.
• Provide technical processing for debt collection in criminal or civil cases.
• Evaluate debt collection documents for mathematical accuracy and proper documentation.
• Independently process cases and legal matters using extensive practical litigative knowledge.

Skills

Legal document review

Legal research

Attention to detail

Citations verification

Tools

Legal databases

Job description

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/.

This position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under 27-VAW-13081899-DE.

Duties

If Selected For This Position, You Will Serve As a Legal Assistant (OA) For The United States Attorney's Office, Western District Of Virginia. Typical Work Assignments Will Include

• Using knowledge of a variety of legal regulations, precedents, practices, examines, prepares and processes technical legal correspondence and documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format.
• Proofreads and cite-checks legal briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents.
• Composes original letters that do not require legal interpretations but do require a good working knowledge of legal procedures and specialized terminology.
• Obtains needed information from files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources, and submits completed legal documents to the appropriate attorney or, in limited cases, directly to the court.
• Following instructions from attorneys, searches for legal precedent in indices and computerized legal reference systems.
• Assists in conducting factual research on individuals and companies using computerized databases and other sources.
• Conducts skip tracing activity when necessary to locate debtors, using own discretion in determining those techniques and any follow up needed to locate the debtor.
• Provides technical processing activities associated with debt collection for criminal and/or civil debts.
• Evaluates debt collection documents and records for mathematical accuracy, to verify that payment transactions are properly documented and to identify any discrepancies.
• Using knowledge of specialized legal processes, regulations, techniques, and procedures, independently processes cases and legal matters by applying knowledge of the principles and practices and extensive practical litigative experience.

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

Requirements

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 qualified for the GS‑07 position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS‑06 level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing the following types of duties: providing support to attorneys by reviewing legal documents such as complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels for completeness of factual information; obtaining necessary information from legal reference files, office records, and other sources; researching legal sources to obtain and/or verify information; and/or using automated software to produce legal related reports, documents, and/or correspondence.

Gs‑08

To be qualified for the GS‑08 position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS‑07 level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing the following types of duties: providing assistance to attorneys by preparing complaints, motions, subpoenas, orders, or other hearing and/or trial documents accurately and in proper format; verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents; retrieving and assembling information for hearing and/or trial use; and/or conducting factual research on individuals and companies using legal and non‑legal databases.

To be qualified, you must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample with three or fewer errors. (A typing test may later be required.)

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

Additional 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/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 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.

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits.

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.