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Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

Department of Justice
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys
United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Indiana
This job announcement has closed

Summary

If you are looking for an exciting and challenging career, this is the position for you! With a diverse and talented workforce of over 100,000 men and women, Justice leads the Nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. You can be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty, and the property of citizens.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/05/2024 to 10/03/2024
Salary
$44,180 to - $71,148 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 7
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Hammond, IN
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You will be required to travel for training or other work-related purposes.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
7
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
24-INN-12429567-DE
Control number
794015000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals.

Duties

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***This job announcement was initially opened on 6/5/2024 and closed on 6/18/2024 under the same announcement number. The announcement was reopened on 9/23/2024 in order to solicit additional applications. Applicant who have previously applied do not need to reapply to be considered, but may update their applications or provide additional documentation during this revised open period.***

This position is located in Hammond, Indiana.

Hammond, Indiana is centrally located in the Northwest Indiana region. With a thriving population and minutes away from Chicago, Northwest Indiana offers low-cost, high-quality living while offering highly competitive salaries at the Chicago locality rate. The proximity of Chicago also offers its art and cultural institutions, world-class entertainment, and dining. The area boasts a variety of living options - from urban living and suburbs to small towns and rural communities. Northwest Indiana is also home to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park and the Indiana Dunes State Park - both offering trails, camping and beaches along Lake Michigan.

For more information about the area, visit www.nwiforum.org
For more information about the state of Indiana, visit www.visitindiana.com.



The office is soliciting applications for a Legal Assistant position within the Civil Legal Support Section of the Northern District of Indiana. If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing a variety of legal and administrative support functions to Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana. Typical work assignments will include:

  • Examining, preparing, and processing a variety of technical legal documents, e.g., complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels.
  • Providing assistance to attorneys in trial preparation.
  • Assembling exhibits, affidavits, and other legal documents.
  • Assembling and organizing files and records material for disposition or transfer to records depository.
  • Maintaining calendar of assigned active cases.
  • Tracking filing, hearing, and trials dates, and scheduling conference and interviews.
  • Arranging travel by preparing itinerary and securing transportation and hotel reservations.
  • Producing a variety of written documents and materials using a wide range of office software applications.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

This position has promotion potential to the GS-07 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher-level duties, the continuing need for the higher-level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

Incentive Pay: May be considered for superiorly qualified applicants and in accordance with 5 CFR Part 575.

Relocation Expenses: Permanent Change in Station (PCS) Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Benefits: The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part:
  • Paid vacation
  • Sick Leave
  • 11 paid holidays
  • 12-weeks of Paid Parental Leave
  • Reasonable Accommodations
  • Health Insurance Benefits
  • Dental and Vision benefits
  • Flexible Spending Accounts for Healthcare and Dependent Care
  • Federal Retirement Pension (Federal Employees Retirement System)
  • Thrift Savings Plan (401k) with up to 5% employer matching
  • Life Insurance
  • Long-term care Insurance
Other Benefits:In addition to the above benefits, we also offer:
  • Telework
  • Flexible Work Schedules
  • Compressed Work Schedules
  • Student Loan Forgiveness
  • Performance Awards & Bonuses
  • Employee Assistance Programs
The Benefits link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal Employees. For more information visit OPM's site for Federal Employee Compensation Package.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

To be eligible for this position, you must meet the following requirements:

  • U.S. Citizenship: You must be a United States Citizen or National.
  • 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 for additional information.
  • Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
  • Probationary Period: If selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
You must apply online and submit a complete application by the closing date of this announcement in order to be considered for this position. (See Required Documents section of this announcement)

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. (See Qualifications section of this announcement)

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet the experience/education requirements for at least one of the grade levels as described below:

GS-5 Grade Level Qualification Requirements

To be eligible at the GS-5 level you must meet at least one of the following conditions below:

Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience reviewing documents with legal implications for accuracy and completeness (e.g., court documents, real estate documents, contracts, insurance or benefits claims, mortgage or loan applications, tax forms, or other types of legal documents); typing and formatting correspondence and forms; maintaining file systems; and obtaining needed information from files or general reference sources. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in the Federal service and could have been gained in the federal, public, or private sector.

-OR-

Education: Completion of at least four (4) years of education above the high school level. This education must have been 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.

-OR-

Combination of Experience and Education: Combinations of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, college education must be in excess of 60 semester hours or beyond the second year.

GS-06 Grade Level Qualification Requirements

To be eligible at the GS-6 level, you must meet the following conditions as defined below:

Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of experience reviewing legal documents such as complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels for completeness of information; retrieving and assembling information for hearing and/or trial use; researching a variety of legal sources to obtain and/or verify information; and using automated software to produce legal related reports, documents, correspondence, and related materials. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the Federal service and could have been gained in the federal, public, or private sector.

GS-07 Grade Level Qualification Requirements

To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must meet the following conditions as defined below:

Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience 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; 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 automated software to produce legal related reports and documents, including developing tables of contents and indices to briefs. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-6 level in the Federal service and could have been gained in the federal, public, or private sector.

Typing Proficiency Requirement

In addition to the qualification requirements for each grade level identified above, you must be able to 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.)

The complete Qualification Standards used for this position may be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards

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

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 http://www.ed.gov
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

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

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 www.sss.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 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.

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: The Department of Justice is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants. See U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for complete details.

Diversity Statement: As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your complete application package (resume/supporting documentation, online questionnaire, and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment) will be evaluated and rated using DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. In addition, qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more are placed at the top of the highest quality category (i.e., Best Qualified).

You will be rated on the following Competencies (see The OPM Website for definitions):

GS-5/6/7 levels:

  • Self-Management
  • Speaking
  • Teamwork
  • Writing
  • Flexibility

GS-6/7 levels only:
  • Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
  • Technology Application
  • Managing and Organizing Information

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.

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