Legal Assistant (Office Automation)

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. Responsibilities If you are not eligible to apply under any of the specified hiring authorities of this announcement, this position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under announcement # 24-INN-12560478-DE. This position is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. U.S. News and World Report: “Fort Wayne, the hub of Northeast Indiana and the states second-largest city, ranked first on U.S. News and World Reports Most Affordable Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024-2025 for its low cost of living. The median home and rent prices are well below the national average, and many households make a decent income to live comfortably in this city.” Northeast Indiana is in the middle of it all, located just three hours or less by car from Midwest cities including Chicago, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis – but with its own unique vibe and easygoing lifestyle. Fort Wayne consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the U.S. and boasts some of the nations lowest cost of living. The Northeast Indiana region fits all kinds of lifestyles for those who want to stay busy in Fort Waynes vibrant downtown, relax in the laid-back small communities, or seek outdoor adventure in the northern lake counties. For more information about the area, visit www.neindiana.com and www.visitfortwayne.com. For more information about the state of Indiana, visit www.visitindiana.com. The office is soliciting applications for a Legal Assistant position within the Criminal Division 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 support functions to Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the United States Attorneys 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 managements 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 OPMs site for Federal Employee Compensation Package. Requirements 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. Time-In-Grade Requirement: If you are applying as a current/former federal employee, you must have served at least 52 weeks in the next lower grade level to be considered. (See Qualifications section for more information). 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 within 30 days of 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-05 Grade Level Qualification Requirements To be eligible at the GS-05 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: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this position. Successfully completed post-high school education may be used to meet the total one year of specialized experience requirement equivalent to the GS-04 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 hour) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. -AND- Time-Grade Requirement: If you are applying as a current/former federal employee, you must have served at least 52 weeks in the GS-4 grade level or higher to be considered at this grade level. 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. -AND- Time-Grade Requirement: If you are applying as a current/former federal employee, you must have served at least 52 weeks in the GS-5 grade level or higher to be considered at this grade level. 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. -AND- Time-Grade Requirement: If you are applying as a current/former federal employee, you must have served at least 52 weeks in the GS-6 grade level or higher to be considered at this grade level. 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 evaluating candidates for this position may be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-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 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, please click the link below. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments 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. Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to Veterans Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the required veterans preference documentation as specified in the, “Required Documents” section of this vacancy announcement. 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 United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. 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.