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Legal Assistant

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Sep 21, 2019
Duties

Summary

Tour of Duty: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Position Description Title/PD#: Legal Assistant/ PD#81183A, 81182A
Compressed/Flexible Schedules: Eligible
Telework: Eligible
Virtual Position: No

This recruitment is for one position with the Office of General Counsel, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Litigation Group, located at 90 K Street, NE., Washington, D.C. Additional positions may be filled from this announcement.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Legal Assistant, PD# 81183-A, 81182-A

Duties:

Reviews legal documents. Determines deadlines for attorney action. Prepares procedural motions or other legal documents to meet the deadlines, and prepares written memoranda regarding such communications for litigation files. Maintains a tickler system to track upcoming case deadlines. Uses various electronic systems and databases, closes cases and coordinates remands. Researches a wide variety of facts and laws, and ensures case information has been properly docketed. Reviews litigation database and based on data relevant to appeals and writs, prepares correspondence to obtain consent to disclosure of confidential information. Enters confidential and sensitive case information data into a specialized litigation database for use by attorneys and management officials. Uses information assembled to prepare legal documents for filing in accordance with Court rules of practice and procedure and office guidelines. Assembles and maintains litigation files to include documents gathered from the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
8

Requirements

Conditions of Employment


You must be a US Citizen to apply for this job.
Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
Selective Service Registration is required for all males born after 12/31/1959.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work is predominantly sedentary, requiring some walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying light to moderate weight and size items such as books, files and paper.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Time-in-grade: Applicants who are current Federal employees or who have held a GS grade anytime in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. Example for a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 level.

Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
GS-06
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-5) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience in an office setting where a portion of the job was reviewing and distinguishing between different types of documents. Experience conducting basic research. Experience drafting responses to inquiries or reports and briefing supervisors. Experience may have been gained as a legal assistant, legal clerk, legal secretary, voucher examiner, veterans claims examiner, or in any other similar work which required reviewing documents for eligibility, compliance with and/or rules, regulations, etc.
GS-07
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-06) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience in a legal setting preparing and reviewing legal documents to assist attorneys and/or other professionals seeking information. Experience conducting automated legal research and gathering information from a variety of sources for use in litigation. Experience dealing with attorneys and clients, and writing non-routine letters, emails, and legal documents. Experience may have been gained as a legal assistant, legal clerk, legal secretary, voucher examiner, veterans claims examiner, or in any other similar work which required reviewing documents for eligibility, compliance with rules and/or regulations, etc.

There is no educational substitute for the GS 6/7 Level.

Additional information on the qualification requirements are outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/

Education

Additional information

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

Competency 1 -Knowledge of legal terms, documents, & court rules.

Competency 2 - Ability to use computers.

Competency 3 - Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Competency 4 - Ability to establish & maintain office files.

Competency 5 - Ability to work independently & effectively.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to: responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

The following documents are required:
  • Your Résumé (Must include series, grade, step, starting and ending dates of employment, month and year, and hours worked per week, and salary information).
  • If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your last or most recent signed Notification of Personnel Action (SF50) showing your position, title, series, grade and eligibility. Applicants who fail to submit this form will be rated INELIGIBLE (SF-50 must be in PDF format; text format will not be accepted). Note: Your SF-50 must reflect the grade and step information equivalent to or greater than the grade lower than the position you are applying to. This may not always be your most recent SF-50. You may need to submit more than one SF-50.
  • To receive consideration as a Veteran you must provide legible copies of your DD-214, member 4 copy or another copy that shows all dates of service as well as character of service (honorable, general, etc.) or a statement of service signed by the commander or you will be deemed INELIGIBLE. Note: More than one DD-214 may be needed to show all dates of service.
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Military Spouses must submit: Marriage Certificate. Copy of the sponsor's permanent change of station orders showing you as an authorized dependent or when the veteran is unemployed and is rated by appropriate military or Department of Veterans Affairs authorities to be 100 percent disabled and/or unemployable. Statement that spouse preference is requested for this vacancy and has not previously been used to obtain a position in the commuting area.
  • Please use this checklist to ensure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

    Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

    If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

    Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

    Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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