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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

View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Organizational Location: This Pathways Student Intern position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Immigration and Customs Office of the Principle Legal Advisor (OPLA) in Newark, NJ.


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

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
10/19/2020 to 10/23/2020
This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$36,061 to - $46,877 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Location
Newark, NJ
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
DAL-PLA-10926029-DE-TD
Control number
581861000

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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As a As a Student Trainee (Legal Assistant) (Office Automation), you will perform the following duties:

  • 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.

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


National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer 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.

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.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

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

Non-Competitive Conversion Eligibility: Candidate(s) selected from this announcement may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the competitive service provided that all terms of the Internship Program are met, and there is an available position. However, conversion is not guaranteed. Additional information on the ICE Pathways Program can be found at: http://www.ice.gov/careers/pathways

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/.

E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of 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.

Suitability: 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, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

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


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/10926029

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.

Interview Requirement: Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result.

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