Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Legal Assistant

Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services
Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.

This announcement has an applicant limit of 100 and will close on the day that 100 applications have been received, at 11:59 PM.

Please read the "How You'll be Evaluated" section for specific details regarding the evaluation process for this job.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/09/2026 to 04/13/2026
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$57,736 - $91,815 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Bethesda, MD
Remote job
No
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
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
HHS-OGC-DE-26-12917154
Control number
864123900

Duties

Help

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As an Legal Assistant , you will use your knowledge and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by:

  • Reviews requests for advice and other legal documents and screens outgoing memoranda, correspondence and documents for clarity accuracy and completeness. Ensures outgoing documents comply with legal format requirements.
  • Annotates case files and status reports to reflect receipt and due dates for response or other action and maintains an automated tracking system of all cases in the Division. Maintains and updated litigation report for the attorneys.
  • Coordinate necessary arrangements for travel, arranges schedule of visits, makes reservations, notifies organization and officials to be visited, and prepares travel vouchers via the automated travel management system. Keep attorney(s) and supervisor(s) informed of important matters while in travel status based on knowledge of program activities and current priorities.
  • Receives both written and telephone requests for assistance and makes a preliminary determination of appropriate handling. Obtains available information and documents necessary for resolution by the attorneys.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
  • Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.
  • Probationary (or trial) period may be required.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
GS-07 Specialized Experience
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

  • Gathering information to prepare working documents and forms.
  • Preparing confidential and time sensitive correspondence for review by senior leadership.
  • Managing the scheduling of appointments for visitors and/or travel for others.
GS-08 Specialized Experience
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:
  • Applying legal regulations, policies and procedures for complex legal documents and cases to conduct extensive searches of records, references, or historical matter.
  • Preparing confidential and time sensitive correspondence for review by senior leadership.
  • Managing the scheduling of appointments for visitors and/or travel for others.
  • Provide legal support on behalf of a client agency.
GS-09 Specialized Experience
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-08 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:
  • Applying legal regulations, policies and procedures for complex legal documents and cases to conduct extensive searches of records, references, or historical mater.
  • Identifying and/or recommending improvements of legal and office procedures and workflow patterns for subordinate organizations to supervisor and senior staff.
  • Coordinating necessary arrangements for travel, arranging schedule of visits, making reservations, notifying organization and officials to be visited, and/or preparing travel vouchers via the automated travel management system.
  • Correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, style, and legal and technical terminology and formats required.
  • Providing legal support on behalf of a client agency.
Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

There is no education substitution for this position

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Veterans' Preference - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. 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 that to the Human Resources Office.

For Résumé Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk

For Application Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYkibnuiJU

For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial.

For Most Effective Resumes Tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Most_Effective_Resumes.

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.

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 announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments.

Resume Requirement
Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length.

Minimum Qualification Question
As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.

Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified.

Assessment Process

USA Hire Technical Assessment
You are required to complete a USA Hire technical assessment to evaluate the job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position.

Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories:
  • Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position.
  • Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position.
  • Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill.
Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' 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).

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
    • Attention to Detail
    • Customer Service
    • Decision Making
    • Flexibility
    • Integrity/Honesty
    • Interpersonal Skills
    • Oral Communication
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Reasoning
    • Self Management
    • Self-Management
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Teamwork
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12917154

Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services

Become a part of the Department that touches the lives of every American! At the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) you can give back to your community, state, and country by making a difference in the lives of Americans everywhere. It is the principal agency for protecting the health of citizens. Join HHS and help to make our world healthier, safer, and better for all Americans.

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is the legal team for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), providing quality representation and legal advice in a wide range of highly visible national issues.

Agency contact information

SROC Help Desk
Email
SROCHelpDesk@hhs.gov
Address
Office of the General Counsel
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
US

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.