Legal Assistant

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. The position provides legal and administrative support for Immigration Court operations by processing legal documents, keeping case records, drafting correspondence, generating reports, and supporting court proceedings. This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance. The duties and responsibilities for a Legal Assistant, GS-0986-5/6/7/8 generally include, but are not limited to, the following: Reviews and processes legal documents and case materials to determine completeness, procedural compliance, and appropriate case processing actions. Establishes and maintains paper and electronic case records to accurately document case status and support court proceedings. Prepares legal correspondence, notices, and court documents in accordance with established procedures and case requirements. Searches case files and legal records to obtain information needed for case processing, correspondence, and hearing preparation. Generates and maintains case status and workload reports to support monitoring of caseloads, motions, appeals, docket activity, and aged cases. Prepares case files and supporting documents for hearings to ensure required records are complete and available for court proceedings.

In order to qualify for the Legal Assistant position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: FOR THE GS-05 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties: Preparing routine correspondence or notices using established formats and procedures; Providing information to visitors or telephone callers using established guidance; Using office software or electronic systems to enter, retrieve, or update information; and Maintaining paper or electronic files in accordance with established filing procedures. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) -OR- Education: Applicants must have successfully completed 4 years of education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite is creditable. This education was 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. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the described education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-05 level. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. (Only post high school 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 hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.) (You must submit a copy of your transcripts for verification.) NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. FOR THE GS-06 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties: Reviewing documents for accuracy, completeness, or required information before further processing; Responding to written, telephone, electronic, or in-person inquiries concerning records or established procedures; Preparing and maintaining official files or records in accordance with established procedures; and Generating and reviewing status, workload, or tracking reports from electronic systems. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties: Managing calendars, schedules, or time-sensitive activities to support meetings, hearings, appointments, or similar events; Examining files or records to determine whether required documentation is complete for further processing;…