Legal Assistant

at Department of Energy in Lemont, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Summary This position is part of the Office of Science – Headquarters, Department of Energy. As a Legal Assistant, you will be responsible for administrative and legal assistant duties, including editorial analysis, composition, and preparation of a variety of documents for the General Law attorneys, as well as maintenance of database information and reports for the Office of Chief Counsel, primarily the General Law Division. Responsibilities As a Legal Assistant, you will: Compose replies for signature of staff attorneys on correspondence involving matters such as standardized legal documents routinely needed for specific legal actions. Maintain action tracking systems on legal matters for assigned attorneys. Collaborate with requesters to clarify or obtain information to ensure requests are valid in accordance with FOIA regulations. Proofread all FOIA letters for accuracy prior to issuance. Assist the FOIA Officer in preparing monthly, quarterly, and annual FOIA reports. Enter all litigation case management data into the shared drive for the Office of Chief Counsel. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications For the GS-07 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate’s online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-06 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 of the 3 following: Maintaining tracking systems on legal matters for assigned attorneys. Supporting the FOIA officer in navigating the FOIA tracking system. Reviewing legal documents for accuracy prior to issuance. For the GS-08 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate’s online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-07 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 of the 3 following: Utilizing FOIA tracking system to update document requests. Collaborating with requesters to ensure requests are valid in accordance with FOIA regulations. Reviewing all incoming mail for staff attorneys to determine what current or previous reference material will be required. “Experience” refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration. CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered “well qualified” you must (1) meet all of the requirements as described in this section; and 2) be rated “well-qualified”, which is defined as having a score of 85 or better. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Education There are no specific education requirements or substitution of education for experience for this position. Additional Information The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website. If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established “well qualified” category as stated in the Qualifications section. More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement. Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year. Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation. Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates. EEO Policy: https://www.energy.gov/justice/eeo-complaint-process Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://www.energy.gov/hc/department-energy-reasonable-accommodation-program Veterans Information: https://www.energy.gov/careers/veterans-military-spouses Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant’s criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.