Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

United States Attorneys' Offices; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, in Boston, seeks a Legal Assistant (Office Automation) to support case processing and administrative tasks in a fast-paced federal environment.

Responsibilities include preparing documents, maintaining records, and assisting attorneys and staff with hearings and filings. Requires 40 wpm typing and 4 years of qualifying education or experience.

Qualifications

• Typing at least 40 words per minute with minimal errors.
• Experience using standard office software and systems.
• Education beyond high school as described in federal qualification.

Responsibilities

• Reviews and processes legal documents and materials for completeness and compliance.
• Maintains paper and electronic case records to document status and support hearings.
• Prepares legal correspondence and court documents per procedures.
• Searches files for information needed for case processing and hearings.
• Generates case status reports and tracks workload and docket activity.
• Prepares case files for hearings to ensure records are complete.

Skills

Typing 40 wpm

Office software proficiency

Customer service

Education

4 years education beyond high school

Tools

Microsoft Office

Case management systems

Job description

SummaryThe U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts represents the entire state and its 6.8 million residents. Of the 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the United States and its territories, the District of Massachusetts is one of the busiest, prosecuting a broad range of cases including national security, white collar crime, public corruption, cybercrime, narcotics and money laundering, organized crime and gang violence, and civil rights violations.

SummaryThe U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts represents the entire state and its 6.8 million residents. Of the 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the United States and its territories, the District of Massachusetts is one of the busiest, prosecuting a broad range of cases including national security, white collar crime, public corruption, cybercrime, narcotics and money laundering, organized crime and gang violence, and civil rights violations. Duties Help If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Legal Assistant (Office Automation) support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, located in Boston, Massachusetts, focusing in the areas of a variety of legal assistance and office support services.

Typical Work Assignments Will Include

• Reviews and processes legal documents and case materials to determine completeness, procedural compliance, and appropriate case processing actions.
• Establishes and maintains paper and electronic case records to accurately document case status and support court proceedings.
• Prepares legal correspondence, notices, and court documents in accordance with established procedures and case requirements.
• Searches case files and legal records to obtain information needed for case processing, correspondence, and hearing preparation.
• Generates and maintains case status and workload reports to support monitoring of caseloads, motions, appeals, docket activity, and aged cases.
• Prepares case files and supporting documents for hearings to ensure required records are complete and available for court proceedings.

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

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• 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.
• A probationary period may 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.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
• You must meet all qualifications requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• As needed, additional selections may be made using this announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

Typing Proficiency: 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.)

To Qualify At The GS-05 Level, You Must Possess

Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (3) of the (4) duties listed below:

• Preparing routine correspondence or notices using established formats and procedures;
• Providing information to visitors or telephone callers using established guidance;
• Using office software or electronic systems to enter, retrieve, or update information; and...
• Maintaining paper or electronic files in accordance with established filing procedures.

Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience

Education

Applicants must have successfully completed 4 years of education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite is creditable. This education was obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school.

NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience

Applicants must possess a combination of the described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-05 level. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only post high school education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.)

NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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.

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

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 https://www.ed.gov/

Special Instructions for 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. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.In addition, when reviewing applicant's transcripts, assumptions will not be made. Applicants MUST state which coursework is relevant.

Background Investigation

To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Justice requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a clearance as a condition of placement in this High Risk position. This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (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 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 rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility, click here.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)

provides eligible surplus and displaced 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 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 rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. Additional information about CTAP eligibility, click here.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.