Lead Legal Administrative Specialist (Civil Division)

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

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



This position serves as the Lead Legal Administrative Specialist for the Civil Division providing a wide range of legal and administrative services to one or more Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in complex civil matters and performing non-supervisory oversight duties to ensure work assignments of civil legal support staff are accomplished. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as technical resource for team members on all aspects of civil legal support functions, including but not limited to docketing, case file management, discovery preparation and management, trial preparation and presentation, and legal research and writing.
• Coaching team members and providing advice on the selection and application of appropriate legal support practices, procedures, and techniques.
• Working with supervisory AUSAs to determine workload needs and allocation of work assignments among team members; monitoring workloads to ensure balanced division of duties; and making day-to-day adjustments to ensure priorities are accomplished and deadlines are met.
• Serving as the primary specialist responsible for managing incoming and outgoing discovery in the Office's most complex civil cases, many of which involve voluminous discovery, multiple parties, and/or multiple law enforcement or client agencies.
• Providing a range of case development and activities during the investigative, pre-trial, and trial phases of the most complex civil cases by analyzing extensive discovery or evidentiary materials such as documentary records and witness statements to evaluate the materials' value or relevance to the matters under investigation.
• Conducting complex factual and legal research in legal and non-legal databases in support of investigations and cases; researching legislation, statutes, regulations, and court cases and factual research on individuals and entities using a variety of sources.
• Analyzing findings and preparing comprehensive written summaries of factual and legal research and issues.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. GS-12: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must have at least ONE full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience providing legal administrative and case management services in support of attorneys engaged in civil and/or criminal litigation; preparing and processing complex legal documents; coordinating court filings and legal processes; managing and organizing electronic and paper discovery in complex civil cases; utilizing litigation support and case management software; assisting with trial preparation and presentation; conducting legal and factual research; and providing technical and administrative support to attorneys and legal staff. Demonstrated ability in coordinating workflow, prioritizing multiple assignments, providing guidance or training to support staff, and ensuring work products meet established standards for accuracy, timeliness, and quality.

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/.