Legal Administrative Specialist (Litigation Support) at Department of Justice

Other

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected Litigation Support Unit (LSU) providing technical and analytical assistance to support the litigation needs of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District Ohio. Typical work assignments will include: Performing a variety of litigation support functions necessary to prepare, process, organize, index, and manage various types of voluminous evidence, data, and electronically stored information (ESI) in complex civil and criminal cases and matters. Providing technical assistance to litigation teams on litigation processing requirements and systems capabilities to facilitate investigatory and litigation-related decisions, evidence management, trial preparation, and trial presentation. Applying a basic knowledge of the Federal Rules of Criminal and Civil Procedures, court requirements, and district practices to determine the appropriate software applications needed to process and produce discovery in civil and criminal cases and matters, ensuring all incoming and outgoing discovery is tracked and logged. Recommending software packages to Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs), investigators, and federal agents based on effectiveness for organizing and reviewing complex and voluminous evidence in a wide variety of forms and formats. Working closely with investigators and attorneys to develop plans for intake, processing, organization, review, and production of voluminous and varied ESI. Developing alternative methods and encouraging the use of technology-based tools for effective organizational strategies, efficient data processing, trial preparation, and presentation. Performing quality control on electronic discovery productions and diagnosing and resolving any identified issues. Training legal support staff, AUSAs, and investigators on use of processing software, tools, and equipment used in performance of duties. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

GS-9: To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. Specialized experience is defined as performing routine litigation support tasks necessary to assist attorneys and legal support personnel with organization of Electronically Stored Information (ESI), for purposes of document review, discovery production, and trial/hearing preparation, including making recommendations on how to proceed with trial presentations; utilizing office automation tools and making appropriate determinations about equipment, resolution, and format; uploading various files into document review databases; using basic document review databases to perform functions such as coding, tagging, searching, sorting, and filtering; performing quality control on loaded files; and creating electronic versions of exhibits for court filings, depositions, hearings, or trials. Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., IT, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Law): a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LLB or J.D., if related); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must require graduates to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. GS-11: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level. Specialized experience is defined as performing advanced litigation support tasks related to the intake, processing, review, production, and presentation of electronically stored information (ESI) utilizing automated processing tools, which includes providing technical advice to litigation teams on legal automation requirements and system capabilities; providing advice, customer support services, and project management services in connection with electronic discovery and evidence, litigation support projects, and litigation technology software applications; assisting attorneys with trial preparation and presentation, including making recommendations on how to proceed with trial presentations and handling all aspects of trial exhibit preparation and presentation; using automated litigation support technology to process and organize voluminous evidence and ESI in multiple formats for retrieval, review by the case team, and production to opposing counsel; diagnosing and resolving litigation support computer system problems; providing training to case team members relating to their use of litigation technology applications; and assisting and training less experienced Legal Administrative Specialists in all litigation support tasks. Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., IT, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Law): a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LLM, if related. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must require graduates to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the 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 proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. 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/.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Other Information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born 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. See www.sss.gov. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.