What are the responsibilities and job description for the Judicial Assistant/Paralegal position at U.S. Courts?

Summary

The United States District Court is seeking a Judicial Assistant / Paralegal . The incumbent will provide executive level administrative support and legal duties to United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applications are ONLY accepted online at the District of Arizona's employment website at

Duties

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The Judicial Assistant / Paralegal will assist the Judge in the daily activities of the office, performing administrative management, secretarial, legal, and related paralegal duties as assigned by the Judge. The Judicial Assistant / Paralegal will also assist in the day-to-day conduct of court business. In addition, this position deals with lawyers and members of the public on behalf of the judge. The Judicial Assistant / Paralegal is generally the first member of a judge's staff whom outsiders meet, the incumbent must have a pleasant and positive attitude, excellent organization skills and refined customer service skills.

The successful candidate must have the ability to work cooperatively with the other members of the chambers staff so that, as a team, they effectively assist the judge in fulfilling judicial responsibilities.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION OR CLEARANCE

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS :

DRUG TESTING

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The successful applicant must speak and write in grammatically correct and professional quality English and be able to communicate clearly and professionally with the public. In addition, the applicant must be proficient in using Microsoft Outlook email / calendaring Microsoft Word, Excel spreadsheet management and Adobe. Proficiency is mission critical. General experience is progressively responsible general clerical or secretarial experience, and specialized experience is progressively responsible secretarial experience that involved responsibility as a principal office assistant to a supervisor who was dealing with law-related matters.

Education above the high school level may be substituted for experience as follows :

Education in a college, university, or secretarial school of recognized standing may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the general experience on the basis of 30 semester (45 quarter) hours equal nine months of experience.

A bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing may be substituted for two years of general experience. Preferably, such degree should have included courses in law, government, public or business administration, or related fields.

Education in a legal or paralegal curriculum may be substituted for a maximum of two years of specialized experience on the basis of one full academic year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) equals one year of experience. Less than one full year of study will be credited on a pro-rata basis.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS :

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preference will be given to applicants who possess :

A four-year college degree,

A paralegal certificate,

Significant legal secretarial, paralegal, and / or court clerk experience in the criminal or civil legal field, including electronic court filing,

Experience managing an office and exercising independent judgment,

Or a juris doctor (JD) from a law school of recognized standing

Education

EDUCATION :

High school diploma or equivalent. A four-year college degree, a paralegal certificate, and / or Juris Doctorate from a law school of recognized standing is preferred.

Additional information

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

You may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, with costs shared with your employer. More info : http : / / www.usajobs.gov / jobextrainfo.asp#FEHB.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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 upon the question responses you provide during a structured interview. In responding to structured interview questions you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did, and the outcome.

Benefits

You may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, with costs shared with your employer. More info : http : / / www.usajobs.gov / jobextrainfo.asp#FEHB.

Review our benefits

Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

Applicants must submit the following :

Cover letter that supports your work experience as it relates to the position.

Resume that includes complete work and salary history, and education.

Your two most recent performance evaluations (preferred) OR two letters of recommendation if evaluations are not available.

Attachments should be submitted only as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) documents. Other formats are not acceptable.

Applications will be considered complete when the online application and all required attachments (in proper format) are received by the Human Resources Division. Applications and / or attachments received after the closing date may not be considered.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from

schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

For information and details regarding this position and to apply, visit the District of Arizona employment website at https : / / www.governmentjobs.com / careers / azduscourts / jobs / 4760512 / judicial-assistant-paralegal to submit an online application, including the items listed above.

Agency contact information

District of Arizona Human Resources

Phone

6023227110

azdml_human_resources_arizona@azd.uscourts.gov

Address

U.S. District Court, District of Arizona

401 W. Washington St.

Phoenix, AZ 85003

Phoenix, Arizona 85003

Next steps

Applications will be reviewed when received; a hiring selection may be made prior to the listing closing date.

After we receive application packages (including all required documents) to the District of Arizona employment website at https : / / www.governmentjobs.com / careers / azduscourts / jobs / 4760512 / judicial-assistant-paralegal, applications will be reviewed to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, applications will be referred to the hiring manager who will determine who may be contacted for an interview.

Fair and Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability

New employee probationary period

Privacy Act

Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service

Signature and false statements

Social security number request