Receptionist/Legal Assistant

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT No. 24-06HReceptionist/Legal AssistantSouthern District of TexasHouston, TX Division The Federal Public Defender, Southern District of Texas, is accepting applications for the position of Receptionist/Legal Assistant to be stationed in the Houston office. The federal defender organization operates under authority of the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, to provide defense services in federal criminal cases and related matters by appointment from the court. Requirements. To qualify for entry level, a person must be a high school graduate or equivalent and have at least two years of general experience; some higher education may be substituted for experience. Personal computer, advanced word-processing skills, and Spanish-language fluency are required; handling multiple phone lines and law office experience is preferred. Employment is subject to a satisfactory background investigation. Duties. Answer telephones and greet visitors; interact courteously with clients, colleagues, and the public and court personnel. Receive and route incoming mail and deliveries. Work well under pressure; type correspondence, enter statistical data, and produce reports. File and pickup papers at federal courthouse. Accomplish other support duties as assigned. Provide legal secretarial and clerical support to one attorney; maintain attorneys’ calendars of court settings and filing deadlines; maintain attorneys' case files; type legal documents, briefs and general correspondence using Word (including formatting, proofreading, and editing as directed); review outgoing documents for accuracy; compose routine general correspondence; filing, photocopying, routing mail, and other duties as assigned. The full Position Qualifications Statements and Position Description is available for inspection in this office. Selection Criteria. Candidates must possess good communication skills, initiative, and capability of working in a high volume, fast paced office. The successful candidate will also have a demonstrated work history of dependability, responsibility, and the ability to be a team player. Salary and Benefits. Starting salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications of the applicant, within a range from JSP-5, Step 1 to JSP-8, Step 1, currently yielding $45,640 to $62,611 per annum. All salaries listed are at full-time rate; this position’s pay will be prorated to the part-time rate. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. The position does include the same benefits as other federal government employees including participation in health and life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. The benefit premiums will be prorated for part-time employees who work 64 or less hours per pay period. Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit). How to Apply. Qualified persons may apply by sending a letter of interest (mentioning announcement number 24-06H) and résumé to: Laura Dusthimer, Administrative Officer, Southern District of Texas, 440 Louisiana Street, Suite 1350, Houston, Texas 77002- 1634, or email in PDF format to TXS_Hiring@fd.org. For applicants with disabilities, this organization provides reasonable accommodations, which are decided on a case-by-case basis. To request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please contact Administrative Officer Laura Dusthimer at (713) 718-4600. Position announced on April 11, 2024; open until filled. Subject to the availability of funds. The Federal Public Defender is an equal-opportunity employer.