Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Research and Publications Section, Desktop Publishing Unit, Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

The incumbent provides a full range of legal publishing services and products to OSG staff, department attorneys, other federal agencies, and private law firms as well as, assisting attorneys in the preparation of legal briefs, which includes verifying the accuracy of legal citations, making suggestions regarding legal citations and, using legal research skills.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities for a 1083 Technical Editor (Law Briefs) generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The incumbent researches, analyzes, and interprets legal information on a variety of subjects concerning an established subject matter field.
• The incumbent coordinates all aspects of legal manual script and proof processes for legal printing.
• The incumbent analyzes and reviews the preparation organization of legal documents.
• The incumbent forwards legal proofs to attorneys for approval of edits and alterations.
• The incumbent conducts complex legal research and analysis on precedents, legislative history, periodicals, etc.
• The incumbent extracts all reportable legal factors to determine if such factors are candidates for information.
• The incumbent monitors the status of requested legal revisions providing the Publications Director of updates.

The duties listed above are generally written for one grade level. If the position is advertised at multiple grades, the duties will be adjusted in difficulty, complexity, and level of supervision, for higher or lower grades, as appropriate. Organizations may also add 'other duties as assigned' once you are hired, based on what is included and allowed by the position description.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary or two-year trial period.
• 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.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement, for up to 90 days, if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Technical Editor (Law Briefs) at (GS-1083-9/11), you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below AND possess the required specialized experience specific to this series and grade you're applying to.

If you are a current or former government employee on a permanent appointment in the competitive service, you will need to demonstrate 1-year (52-weeks) at the next lower grade level, to meet the time-in-grade requirements for this occupational series and grade.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: To qualify at the GS-11 you must possess one-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector specialized experience is defined as experience: 1. Experience performing a variety of technical legal work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process; and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; 2. Experience preparing and processing (technical) legal correspondence and documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format; 3. Review tables of authorities, ensure accuracy of legal citations using online research tools (e.g. Westlaw and Hein Online, etc.) and obtains editorial updates from staff in-house and outside the government; 4. Processing and organizing legal data and other supportive material (e.g. petitions, briefs, and motions); 5. Reviewing incoming legal material and independently determining the need for assembly; AND 6. Preparation of a variety of legal documents for technology successes and data metrics.

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree
OR
LL.M., if related

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: To qualify at the GS-09 you must possess one-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector specialized experience is defined as experience: 1. Review tables of authorities, ensure accuracy of legal citations using online research tools (e.g. Westlaw and Hein Online, etc.) and obtains editorial updates from staff in-house and outside the government; 2. Processing and organizing legal data and other supportive material (e.g. petitions, briefs, and motions); AND 3.Preparation of a variety of legal documents for technology successes and data metrics.

OR

Master's or equivalent Graduate degree
or
2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree
or
LL.B. or J.D., if related

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, by the closing date of this announcement, 06/10/2021.

Your resume must support your responses to the online 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.

Education

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 .

Additional information

The bullets below outline the various groups of applicants that fall under the term "status candidates". This vacancy is open to applicants from any of the groups listed below: When you apply you'll have the chance to claim an eligibility pathway, be sure you fully read each statement and any links provided to make sure you know which eligibility you qualify for.

See a full list and learn more at USAJOBS, see: What does Status Candidate mean? or Which Jobs am I Eligible to Apply for?

CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: For more information, see USAJOBS Federal Employees .

CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS ( CTAP or ICTAP ): For more information visit: USAJOBS Career Transition Programs

VETERANS AND MILITARY SPOUSES: Please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details. SCHEDULE A, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Learn more at USAJOBS - Individuals with Disabilities . General Employment Information :

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: Our policy can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/manual-and-procedures-providing-reasonable-accommodation

DOJ EEO STATEMENT: The U.S. Department of Justice fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, find our EEO statement online at: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf

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 .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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

Once the announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible, or your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities.

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.

BASIS OF RATING :
DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

• Legal Assistance
• Oral and Written Communication
• Technical Competence

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:

Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;

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.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims.

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of document descriptions below, to see which documents are required for your application.

ALL APPLICANTS : You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information:

Official position title;

Employer name and contact information;

Start and end dates ( including month and year );

A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,

Your highest salary (or grade/step) achieved; and

The number of hours worked per week (or indicate full-time).

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.

See USAJOBS Current & Former Employees for more information.

If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse:

Submit all DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Member-4 Copy) forms.

If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating you will need to 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.

For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets .

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 .

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP :

You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.

If you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.

See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

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.

USAJOBS - What documents might I need to provide?