Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates) in all U.S. Attorneys' offices and the Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys, plus well-qualified surplus and displaced DOJ employees (CTAP) in the local commuting area. Internal Employees Only.

The Supervisory Legal Assistant (OA) is responsible for directly supervising lower grade level legal assistants and independently supporting Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) by providing and overseeing a wide variety of technical assistant services.

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Supervisory Legal Assistant (OA) support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing in the areas of the processes, procedures, and practices of legal assistant activities in conjunction with a knowledge of clerical and administrative office skills and an ability to apply and oversee these skills to increase the effectiveness of the assigned AUSA.

Typical work assignments will include:

• Examining, preparing and processing a variety of technical legal documents, e.g., complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, subpoenas, and libels.
• Proofreading and cite checking legal briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents.
• Assembling exhibits, affidavits, and other legal documents and organizing files and records material for disposition or transfer to records depository.
• Producing a variety of written documents and materials using a wide range of office software applications.
• Holding corrective interviews with subordinate employees to address performance or conduct issues.
• Exercising authority to approve/deny leave and overtime/compensatory time requests for subordinate employees.

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.
• 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.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• A probationary period may be required.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
• 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).
• Time-in-Grade: Current or former Federal employees applying under merit promotion considerations must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
• If selected, you will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a one year supervisory or managerial probationary period unless this requirement has been met previously.

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-09 level, you must possess:

Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-08 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (3) of the (4) duties listed below:

• Providing trial support to attorneys by preparing complaints, motions, subpoenas, orders, or other hearing and/or trial documents accurately and in proper format;
• Verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents;
• Assisting with discovery, hearing or trial preparation by performing duties such as compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists;
• Using software applications and legal and non-legal databases to produce legal related reports and documents, conduct factual research, develop tables of contents and indices to briefs, and prepare courtroom presentations.

Typing Proficiency: To be qualified, you must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample with three or fewer errors. (A typing test may later be required.)

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.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-08is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level.

• You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).

All applicants will be reviewed to ensure they meet minimum qualification and eligibility requirements before carrying out the rating and ranking process. Applicants will not be further considered who will not meet within 30 days after the closing date of the vacancy announcement all qualification and eligibility requirements.

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 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):

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/12922655

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:

• Your Resume: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (for full consideration you must include day/month/year) of employment and work schedule for each (e.g., part-time XX hours per week or full-time) (cover letter optional). Limit your resume to two 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 Application Questionnaire
• Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): If you are a current Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status.
  • You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate that you meet time-in-grade requirements.
  • If you are a former Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status.
  • If you are a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service, separated from the Federal Government over a year ago, and your last performance rating on record as a Federal employee was at least Fully Successful (or equivalent), you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status AND your last Federal performance appraisal plan.
• Other supporting documents:
  • College transcripts If you meet qualifications based on education:
    • An unofficial college transcript.
• CTAP 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.
• Certifications as required under the Qualifications section
• 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? 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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