Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

United States Attorneys' Offices; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Holidays

Telework

Life insurance

Health benefits

FERS retirement

Job summary

United States Attorneys' Offices in the Western District of Washington seeks a Grand Jury Coordinator and Legal Assistant to support AUSAs in criminal matters. You will handle grand jury procedures, document preparation, and secure handling of records.

The role requires typing speed, legal research, and trial support experience, with opportunity for growth to higher levels as duties expand. Seattle location with potential telework options.

Qualifications

• Typing at least 40 words per minute with minimal errors.
• Specialized experience in federal service related to trial support and legal documents.
• Ability to research, prepare, and organize legal materials for court use.

Responsibilities

• Research grand jury laws and rules, determine issues, and protect records.
• Search records and coordinate facts for litigation and grand jury matters.
• Prepare and distribute confidential legal correspondence and reports.
• Create trial exhibits and aid in courtroom presentations.
• Code and index discovery documents using case management software.

Skills

Typing 40 wpm

Legal research

Trial support

Recordkeeping

Interagency coordination

Tools

Legal case management software

Job description

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 applicants eligible to be called through Merit Staffing procedures under 27-WAW-13077778-MS.

Duties

Responsibilities

If selected, you will serve as the Grand Jury Coordinator and Legal Assistant in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Western District of Washington. You will be responsible for directly and independently supporting Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) by providing a wide variety of technical assistance services related to complex grand jury actions and matters. Typical work assignments will include:

• Independently researching and following the laws and specialized rules regarding grand jury proceedings and impanelment, reviewing cases to determine factual issues that May impact grand jury activities, protecting grand jury records and keeping files secure from public disclosure, making substantive processing determinations or initiating other actions based on an analysis of the situation or circumstances of the proceedings, and acting as authoritative liaison with other agencies regarding grand jury matters;
• Performing extensive searches of records, reference and/or historical material and independently researching, evaluating, and coordinating information to establish the facts and issues of specific litigation cases;
• Transcribing, preparing and distributing both complex confidential legal correspondence, reports and other documents; assisting in editing and compiling data for grand jury reports and supervising the secure reproduction and distribution of reports;
• Preparing trial exhibits such as statistical charts, graphs, and timelines to be presented in court; and
• Coding and indexing discovery documents using legal case management software.

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.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

GS-7: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing trial support 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; assisting with discovery, hearing or trial preparation by performing duties such as compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; and using software applications and legal and non-legal databases to produce legal related reports and documents, conduct factual research, develop tables of contents and indices to briefs, and prepare courtroom presentations.

GS-8: To be qualified at the GS-8 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: preparing and processing a variety of technical legal correspondence and documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format (e.g. pleadings, stipulations, motions, briefs, affidavits, complaints, orders, answers, subpoenas, and other legal documents); obtaining information from files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources; conducting factual and legal research in legal and non-legal databases and providing requested information to attorneys; aiding in the preparation and organization of evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial; managing paper and electronic discovery and evidence; independently compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists; and coding and indexing discovery documents using legal case management software.

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).

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-8. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and funding availability. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

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/.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional Information

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.

A relocation incentive may be considered as appropriate based on qualifications.

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

• paid vacation
• sick leave
• holidays
• telework
• life insurance
• health benefits
• 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 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.

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.

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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.