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Student Trainee Legal Assistant (OA)

Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Office of the Principal Legal Advisor
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This Pathways Student Intern position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Omaha, Nebraska and San Diego, California.

** This position is a Internship Not To Exceed 1-year appointments with the option of yearly extensions.**

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/23/2020 to 03/30/2020
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$26,915 to - $34,988 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
San Diego, CA
Omaha, NE
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1 year
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DAL-PLA-10752263-DE-BH
Control number
563501900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a full or half time basis as a degree seeking student.

Duties

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  • Perform a variety of complex support for a staff of attorneys involved in immigration law practices and court proceedings;
  • Provide data gathering and analysis support for a variety of legal processes;
  • Operate word-processing software and computer hardware to produce, store, and retrieve drafts of a variety of documentation types;
  • Provide general support to attorneys in all areas of docket management or motion and appeal preparation; and
  • Assist attorneys in preparing relevant documents for use in court proceedings.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Selective Service registration required.
  • A pre-employment drug test will 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.
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
  • Must be 16 years or older at the time of appointment.
  • One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Qualifications

BASIC ELIGIBILITY:
In order to be eligible as a Student Intern under the ICE Pathways Program, you must be enrolled in a qualifying educational institution (on at least a half-time basis) pursuing a degree, diploma, or certificate. A qualifying educational institution is a public high school whose curriculum has been approved by a state or local governing body; a private school that provides secondary education as determined under state law; a homeschool that is allowed to operate in a state; and educational institutions or curricula accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. This includes technical or vocational schools; 2- and 4-year colleges or universities; graduate and professional schools (e.g. law school or medical school); or a post-secondary home school curriculum that is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.

Candidates must also:

  • Must remain in good academic standing as defined by the school, generally at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) for undergraduate programs (cumulative) and a 3.0 GPA for advanced degree programs.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be maintained throughout the entire internship appointment.
  • Degree does not have to be related to the position/series; however to be eligible, candidate must meet the ICE Qualification Standards for the position to which the Intern may be converted.
  • Meet the ICE developed qualifications standards prior to appointment and any physical, suitability, security requirements and if applicable medical clearance.
  • If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Program Participant Agreement.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-4: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or associates degree.

Typing Proficiency: In addition to the above minimum qualification requirements, applicants must be able to type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample, with three or fewer errors. You may self-certify your proficiency in your resume/application package.

Office Automation: In addition to the above minimum qualification requirements, applicants must possess knowledge of general office automation software, practices, and procedures.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE:
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.


PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION:
Interns may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, to a term position lasting 1-4 years) within 120 days of successful completion of the internship program.

Students who successfully complete the internship program may be eligible for conversion to a permanent appointment or a term (1 to 4 years in duration) appointment without further competition.

To be eligible for conversion, Interns must:
- Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program.
- Complete degree requirements within one year of your internship appointment date.
- Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted.
- Must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA throughout the entire internship appointment.
- Perform their job successfully.
- Agencies may waive up to 320 of the required 640 hours of work for Interns who demonstrate high potential as evidenced by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance.
- In addition, students working in agencies through third-party intern providers may count up to 320 of the hours they work toward the 640 hour requirement.
- Time spent under previous Internship Program appointments may count towards required work experience hours.

Education

When using education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

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/.

Additional information

Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Veterans' Preference: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) or an official statement from your command if currently on active duty that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the DD-214, you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) and the required supporting documents listed on that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:
  1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10752263

The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

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