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 (OGC) Court of Veterans Appeals located in Washington, DC.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Legal Assistant, PD #81183A, 81182A
Reviews legal documents, determines deadlines for action, prepares procedural
motions or other legal documents to meet the deadlines. Incumbent, 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, ensures case information has been properly docketed.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

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 males born after 12/31/1959.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work is sedentary. No special physical demands are required to perform work other than the lifting of government files that can be bulky and heavy

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or 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 Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/ vetpref /index.aspx.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/02/2020.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

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-05GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: reviewing legal documents, maintaining a tickler system, using various electronic systems and databases, entering confidential information into a database, researching a wide variety of facts and laws, closes cases, coordinates remands. Prepares correspondence to obtain consent to disclose personal information all while working under supervisory controls and supervision of work.

GS-07 Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-06GS-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: working independently, reviewing legal documents under little or no supervision, maintaining a tickler system, using various electronic systems and databases with less supervisory control, entering confidential information into a database, researching a wide variety of facts and laws, closes cases, coordinates remands. Prepares correspondence to obtain consent to disclose personal information. The legal assistant independently conducts research, selects evidence from documents and prepares drafts of pleadings or memoranda. The employee carries out assignments and resolves problems and deviations in line with previous training and VA/OGC policies, precedents, directives and practices.

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/classifying-general-schedule-positions/ .

Education

There is no educational substitution for this position.

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: Accountability

Competency 2: Attention to Detail

Competency 3: Manages and Organizes Information

Competency 4: Computer Skills

Competency 5: Communication

Competency 6: Knowledge of Office Procedures

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.

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

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process

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:. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:

• Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
• Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
• SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Copy of unofficial transcripts. Must show name of college to determine accreditation. If qualifying based on degree, or for positions requiring a degree, the transcript must show date the degree was conferred. If selected, you must provide official transcripts. NOTE: Transcripts should state degree conferred, and have a date.

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.