Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation)

Summary

The Legal Administrative Specialist (LAS) serves as a member of the Public Contact Team, located in the Veterans Service Center. The incumbent provides in-depth information and comprehensive assistance to Veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits and related non-VA benefits.

Duties

Specific duties include: Counsel Veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits offered by other organizations concerned with Veterans and serve as the facility Point of Contact and advocate in dealings with VA elements and external organizations affecting their claims. Conduct interviews at various VA facilities and outreach events to initiate claims, explain VA benefits, and provide assistance in obtaining and completing necessary documents and forms based on the type of claim being submitted. Review claims for Veterans, submit appropriate requests to relevant sections for action, and use discretion and judgement when analyzing and interpreting laws, regulations, and procedures, especially where guidelines or precedents may not be clear. Explain the types of documents necessary to facilitate timely processing of claims, communicate VA decisions and their reasons to claimants, and prepare technical correspondence to Veterans and their dependents providing benefit information, representation rights, and responses to miscellaneous inquiries. Provide counseling and support throughout the claims process, assisting with documentation, clarifying benefit eligibility, and representing Veterans' interests while ensuring accurate and timely processing of all paperwork and inquiries. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday, (hours to be determined by hiring office) Compressed/Flexible: May be available as determined by the hiring office Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Legal Administrative Specialist (Contact Representation); PD02108A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:11/06/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. If you are a current VBA employee requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS- 10 or higher and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least None. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-10 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: For a GS-10 grade, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher. Specialized experience is defined as communicating with individuals from diverse backgrounds about VA benefits programs and researching local, state, and Federal laws and regulations to determine Veterans' eligibility for these programs. Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess two and a half years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. The incumbent will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. There are no other special physical demands required to perform the work. There may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, and files from one location to another. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone is required and may often involve high levels of stress and pressures. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications. You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.