Clarification from the agency

CTAP, ICTAP, all U.S. Citizens and Nationals

This announcement is open for 30 days and will close at 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/19/2026. Applicants will be referred every 2 weeks throughout the open period, based on the schedule below. Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the cut-off dates listed below. Eligibility and qualification claims are subject to verification.

1. First Cut-Off - June 4, 2026: To be considered in the first review, applicants must submit their application package and complete the USA Hire assessments by June 4, 2006..
2. Final Cut-Off - June 19, 2026: Applicants who submit their application package and complete the USA Hire assessments after June 4, 2026, but by June 19, 2026, will be considered in the final review.

This position is also being announced to applicants under Merit Staffing procedures under 26-FLS-12962003-MP.

This Legal Administrative Specialist (Litigation Support) serves as a trainee Legal Administrative Specialist responsible for supporting civil and/or criminal case teams by performing routine litigation support tasks necessary to prepare or manage electronic discovery, evidence, exhibits, and other electronically stored information (ESI) relevant to investigations and casework, using a variety of methods and software applications.

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Legal Administrative Specialist (Litigation Support) support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Fort Pierce, Florida; Miami, Florida; West Palm Beach, Florida, focusing in the areas of litigation support; customer support; project management; case management.

Typical work assignments will include:

• Performing routine litigation support tasks necessary to process common ESI (e.g., PDF files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint files, emails, etc.) and preparing it for review or production by the case team.
• Using specialized software applications (e.g., processing software) to perform basic processing tasks and meet the technical needs of criminal and civil case teams.
• Providing customer support services and project management services in connection with electronic discovery, litigation support projects, and litigation technology software applications.
• Providing technical assistance, in a developmental capacity, to case teams presenting or filing electronic evidence or exhibits in civil or criminal legal proceedings.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• A probationary period may be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
• You must meet all qualifications requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• As needed, additional selections may be made using this announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

To qualify at the GS-07 level, you must possess:

Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (2) of the (3) duties listed below:

• Performing routine litigation support assignments (such as processing common electronic files, loading image, native, and text files into document review databases, performing and assisting with basic document review tool functions, preparing basic electronic discovery productions, or preparing electronic materials for filing or presentation in civil or criminal legal proceedings);
• Providing automated litigation technology support to prepare, manage, produce, or present discovery, evidence, exhibits, or other electronic files relevant to civil and criminal cases;
• Identifying and resolving technical issues relating to litigation support tasks.

OR
Successful completion of one full year of graduate level education in a related field (Paralegal studies, Legal studies, Criminal Justice, Business Administration) leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university and my education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (You must provide supporting transcripts).
OR
Successful completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a course of study that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work and I meet at least one of the requirements for superior academic achievement (SAA): 1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. (Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.) 3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (You must submit transcripts.)
OR
A combination of the above-described specialized experience and education. I have some specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and I have more than one year but less than two years of education as described in B. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100%. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (You must submit transcripts.)

To qualify at the GS-09 level, you must possess:

Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (2) of the (3) duties listed below:

• Performing routine and recurring litigation support assignments (such as processing common electronic files, loading image, native, and text files into document review databases, performing and assisting with basic document review tool functions, preparing basic electronic discovery productions, or preparing electronic materials for filing or presentation in civil or criminal legal proceedings;
• Assisting in analyzing case requirements to identify appropriate litigation support approaches and options;
• Providing automated support to prepare and organize exhibits, evidence, and data relevant to cases presented before a jury, grand jury or in other legal proceedings.

OR
Successful completion of one of the following types of education in a related field, such as (Paralegal studies, Legal studies, Criminal Justice, Business Administration): a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D.); OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. My education was obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. (You must submit transcripts.)

OR
A combination of specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and I have at least one year of graduate education as described in B, which when combined equals 100% of the requirements. To calculate your percentage of education, first determine the total number of hours that exceed 18 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study) then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. (Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation). (You must submit transcripts.)

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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 your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

How you will be evaluated

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

Promotion Potential (Career Ladder) Statement: This position is being filled at the (GS-07 & GS-09) level with promotion potential to the (GS-09). Promotion or assignment into this career ladder position does not guarantee future advancement. Advancement to the (GS-09) is not automatic and depends on the individual's ability to perform the higher-grade duties, the availability of a sufficient quantity of higher-grade work that would constitute a major duty, and management's decision to assign these higher-grade duties to the employee.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12962002

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures and placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified.

Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;

Highly Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job;

Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Names of all candidates in the best qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which only those names will be initially certified). Candidates within the best qualified category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

Note: Failure to submit a resume or supporting documentation may result in elimination for further consideration. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume: Your resume showing relevant experience, job titles, duties, dates (must include MM/DD/YY for full consideration) of employment and work schedule for each (part-time XX hours per week or full-time). Limit your resume to 2 pages. Only resumes 2 pages in length will be accepted to determine eligibility and qualifications. For more information, view the following link: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirement
• A complete Assessment Questionnaire
• Other supporting documents:
  • College transcripts If you meet qualifications based on education:
    • An unofficial college transcript. (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript will be required prior to your first day.) and foreign education evaluation documentation, if applicable, as described under the "Education" section of this vacancy announcement.
• CTAP/ICTAP Documentation
  • A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
  • A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
  • A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
  • Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
• Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable:
  • In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates:1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
  • In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" dated October 2013 and all the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.
• Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
  • Position title;
  • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
  • Agency; and
  • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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