Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) in the local area and current/former Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates). VEOA eligibles and those eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authority, e.g., Individuals with Disabilities, Military Spouses, former Overseas employees, VISTA/Peace Corps, some Land Management employees, and certain veterans, e.g., VRA, 30% Disabled. See link in "How to Apply".
If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for Legal Assistant work. Typical work assignments will include:
Using knowledge of a variety of legal regulations, precedents, and practices, examines, prepares and processes technical legal correspondence and documents.
Conducting factual and legal research in legal and non-legal databases and provide requested information.
Preparing trial exhibits such as statistical charts, graphs, and timelines to be presented in court.
Managing paper and electronic documents and evidence, correspondence, briefs, witness interviews, and other documentary materials.
Arranging travel by preparing itinerary, and securing transportation and hotel reservations.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period. See "Additional Information" for specific details.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
Qualifications
To qualify for the position of Legal Assistant (Office Automation), at GS-0986-5/6/7, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.
GS-5:To be eligible at the GS-5 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level; or four years of education above the high school level; or a combination of both specialized experience and education as explained below.
Specialized experience is defined as 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.
Education: Four years of education above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the prerequisite. One year of full-time study is defined as 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) or the equivalent or 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for 36 weeks in business, secretarial or technical school.
Combining Education and Experience: Successfully completed post-high school education may be used to meet the total one year of specialized experience requirement equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.
GS-6: To be eligible at the GS-6 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level.
Specialized experience is defined as experience reviewing legal documents such as complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels for completeness of factual 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 definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the GS-05 grade/level in the federal service.
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this grade level, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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.
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. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the GS-06 grade/level in the federal service.
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this grade level, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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.)
You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 11/25/2026 of this announcement.
Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.
After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 11/25/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) - VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.
Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below. You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet the GS-5 qualification requirements, please see the statements below.
Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution.
If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required:
You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Additional information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP):
These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:
Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and
Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
1) your performance and conduct;
2) the needs and interests of the agency;
3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: 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. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy
Selective Service: If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to Patricia Folkes at patricia.folkes@usdoj.gov. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.
This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.
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.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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. You must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
Your USAHIRE assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
Additionally, we will review your supporting documents and resume to determine if you are in the "Area of Consideration" for this vacancy. Government-Wide Merit Promotion vacancies may only accept applications from a limited audience, pay careful attention to the "Who May Apply" and the "Hiring Paths" information. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
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):
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Reading Comprehension
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.
BASIS OF FINAL RATING:
DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates.
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.
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.
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Resume
- Required: Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
If you are a current or former Federal employee:
You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF-50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step,organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status.
Submit a copy of your most recent performance evaluation or appraisal, signed, showing your final rating. If a performance appraisal is not available submit a statement explaining why one is not available. Note: See USAJOBS Current & Former Employees for more information.
Due Weight for Performance:
You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, and
A list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. Due weight for performance applies to federal and non-federal work. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available.
If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:
When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information.
For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.
If you are applying for consideration under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority:
Spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty: documentation showing 1) your spouse's active-duty status and 2) your marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage certificate or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Spouse of service members who incurred a 100% disability because of the service member's active-duty service: documentation showing 1) the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharged from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent; and 2) documentation of marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Spouse of service members killed while on active duty: documentation showing a) the member was released or discharged from active duty due to his or her death while on active duty; b) the member of the armed forces was killed while serving on active duty; c) proof of the widow or widower's marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage); and d) a statement certifying that the individual seeking to use the authority is the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member.
If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:
You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/25/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 11/25/2026.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Melissa Newbell at melissa.newbell@usdoj.gov for assistance.
Southern District of Texas
1000 Louisiana Street
Suite 2300
Houston, TX 77002
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Resume
- Required: Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
If you are a current or former Federal employee:
You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF-50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step,organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status.
Submit a copy of your most recent performance evaluation or appraisal, signed, showing your final rating. If a performance appraisal is not available submit a statement explaining why one is not available. Note: See USAJOBS Current & Former Employees for more information.
Due Weight for Performance:
You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, and
A list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. Due weight for performance applies to federal and non-federal work. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available.
If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:
When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information.
For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.
If you are applying for consideration under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority:
Spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty: documentation showing 1) your spouse's active-duty status and 2) your marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage certificate or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Spouse of service members who incurred a 100% disability because of the service member's active-duty service: documentation showing 1) the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharged from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent; and 2) documentation of marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Spouse of service members killed while on active duty: documentation showing a) the member was released or discharged from active duty due to his or her death while on active duty; b) the member of the armed forces was killed while serving on active duty; c) proof of the widow or widower's marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage); and d) a statement certifying that the individual seeking to use the authority is the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member.
If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A:
You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability).
You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits.
For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/25/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 11/25/2026.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Melissa Newbell at melissa.newbell@usdoj.gov for assistance.
Southern District of Texas
1000 Louisiana Street
Suite 2300
Houston, TX 77002
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
