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.

Major duties
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.

Qualifications
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; Researching information through organized files, records, or electronic systems to support case or administrative actions; and Generating, modifying, or interpreting computer-generated reports to monitor status, workload, or pending actions. Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) FOR THE GS-08 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 4 or more of the following duties: Applying established rules, policies, or procedures to determine appropriate actions for case or administrative work; Coordinating multiple assignments or time-sensitive activities to meet established priorities and deadlines; Examining complex or extensive documents or files to identify required information and processing requirements; Reviewing incoming documents or case files to determine the appropriate next action under established procedures; and Scheduling meetings, hearings, appointments, or other engagements requiring coordination of participants, records, or deadlines. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR 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 to apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Occupational questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13069777 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 10/07/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.