For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 25-TNW-12621866-ST.

Duties

DUTES: If selected, the incumbent will provide routine to substantive legal support to Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in a variety of recurring and specialized litigative activities related to defensive litigation. -Using a basic to in-depth knowledge of the application of various laws, court and/or administrative decisions and interpretations related to defensive litigation matters.-Performs substantive research, evaluation and analysis of a variety of specialized legal topics and points of law. -Determines which statutes, regulations, cases, procedures and/or policies need to be researched and assembled, prepares initial summary and makes recommendations as to appropriateness of data. -Organizes and prepares research material and determines pertinent information, reconciles conflicting facts. -Research input assists in the development of cases and is predicated on facts derived from a review of case information, requests from federal attorneys and a review of documentary evidence or facts. -Drafts initial legal and administrative briefs, attorney motions, oppositions to defense motions and correspondence for AUSA review. -Reviews, proofreads and edits legal documents. Verifies citations and statutory references against original sources. -Prepares and organizes documentation and evidence for production in electronic and hard copy formats, prepares for the use of it in each stage of litigation and may present the exhibits using trial presentation software in court. -Provides automated litigation assistance to attorneys in trial preparation and courtroom presentation. -Participates in pre-trial witness conferences, noting any deficiencies in case materials (e.g., missing documents, conflicting statements) and additional issues or other matters requiring investigation prior to trial. -As required, prepares and organizes trial exhibits, documents, memoranda, reports and correspondence relating to cases for review by federal attorneys. -At times, may interact with opposing counsel regarding the correctness of factual information, technical issues or procedural requirements. -Performs other related duties as assigned. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• 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
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:GS-9: To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least one year of Specialized Experience, Education, or, a Combination of Education and Experience. GS-9 Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and the ability to interpret legal decisions. Examples of specialized experience may include the following: examining and processing a variety of legal documents; conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests; drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence; using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information; document findings and preparing recommendations; searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel. GS-9 Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law): a Master's 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. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. GS-9 Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of specialized experience as described and graduate-level education which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. To calculate percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years 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 percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Next add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. (Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used in this calculation.) QUALIFICATIONS:GS-11: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least one year of Specialized Experience, Education, or, a Combination of Education and Experience. GS-11 Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Examples of specialized experiences may include the following: analyzing and evaluating legal decisions and case files to identify relevant issues and potential evidence; conducting legal research concerning precedents and past court decisions; composing legal briefs, summaries of analyses and decisions, and pre-trial documents; interviewing witnesses and various individuals who can provide insight into cases under review; and preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations. For the GS-11 Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., 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 L.L.M. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. GS-11 Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of specialized experience as described and graduate-level education which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years 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 two years may be used in this calculation.) 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.

Contacts

• Address Western District of Tennessee 167 N. Main St. Suite 800 Memphis, TN 38103 US
• Name: Collins Harper
• Phone: 901 969-2996
• Email: [email protected]