Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families		Classification Programs Division
Release Date:  August 2001		Section Thirteen of Sixty-six

    GS-0900 - LEGAL AND KINDRED GROUP   

This group includes positions that advise on, administer, supervise, or perform work of a legal or kindred nature.

Throughout the following information, an asterisk (*) stands for series with a published standard and a double asterisk (**) stands for series with a published flysheet.

Series in this group are:

GS-0901 - General Legal and Kindred Administration Series**

This series covers two-grade interval administrative positions that supervise, lead, or perform work involving two or more series in the Legal and Kindred Group, GS-0900 or positions that require legal and kindred administrative knowledge but are not covered by an existing administrative series within the group.

GS-0904 - Law Clerk Series

This series includes positions of law clerk trainees performing professional legal work requiring graduation from a recognized law school or equivalent experience, pending admission to the bar.

GS-0905 - General Attorney Series*

This series includes professional legal positions involved in preparing cases for trial and/or the trial of cases before a court or an administrative body or persons having quasi-judicial power; rendering legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal Government agency (this may include conducting investigations to obtain evidentiary data); preparing interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law; drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents required by the agency's activities; drafting, preparing formal comments, or otherwise making substantive recommendations with respect to proposed legislation; editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress, opinions or discussions of a court, commission, or board; drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by agency officials.

Included also are positions, not covered by the Administrative Procedure Act, involved in hearing cases arising under contracts or under the regulations of a Federal Government agency when such regulations have the effect of law, and rendering decisions or making recommendations for disposition of such cases. The work of this series requires admission to the bar.

GS-0920 - Estate Tax Examining Series

This series includes positions concerned with determining liability for Federal estate or gift taxes. Such work requires knowledge of State, local, and Federal laws and regulations relating to estate and gift taxation; knowledge of accounting principles and theory; knowledge of business methods and practices; and knowledge of property valuation and investigative techniques.

GS-0930 - Hearings and Appeals Series

This series includes positions that involve the adjudication of cases that typically include the conduct of formal or informal hearings that accord appropriate due process, arising under statute or under the regulations of a Federal agency when the hearings are not subject to the Administrative Procedure Act; or involve the conduct of appellate reviews of prior decisions. The work requires the ability to review and evaluate investigative reports and case records, conduct hearings in an orderly and impartial manner, determine credibility of witnesses, sift and evaluate evidence, analyze complex issues, apply agency rules and regulations and court decisions, prepare clear and concise statements of fact, and exercise sound judgment in arriving at decisions. Some positions require application of a substantive knowledge of agency policies, programs, and requirements in fields such as personnel management or environmental protection.

GS-0945 - Clerk of Court Series**

This series covers two-grade interval administrative positions that supervise, lead, administer, or perform administrative and related work in connection with:

• proceedings instituted before courts of justice under the jurisdiction of a department or independent establishment in the executive branch of the United States Government; or
• business operations in connection with such courts.

GS-0950 - Paralegal Specialist Series*

This series includes positions not requiring professional legal competence that involve various legal assistance duties, of a type not classifiable in some other series in the Legal and Kindred Group, in connection with functions such as hearings, appeals, litigation, or advisory services. The specialists analyze the legal impact of legislative developments and administrative and judicial decisions, opinions, determinations, and rulings on agency programs; conduct research for the preparation of legal opinions on matters of interest to the agency; perform substantive legal analysis of requests for information under the provisions of various acts; or other similar legal support functions that require discretion and independent judgment in the application of a specialized knowledge of laws, precedent decisions, regulations, agency policies and practices, and judicial or administrative proceedings. Such knowledge is less than that represented by graduation from a recognized law school, and may have been gained from formalized, professionally instructed agency or educational institution training or from professionally supervised on-the-job training. While the paramount knowledge requirements of this series are legal, some positions also require a practical knowledge of subject matter areas related to the agency's substantive programs.

GS-0958 - Pension Law Specialist Series

This series includes positions that involve administering, supervising, or performing work requiring specialized knowledge of the provisions governing the administration of employee pension and welfare plans and the management of plan funds. This knowledge is used to: (1) interpret such laws as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), certain provisions of the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act (FERSA) relating to the Thrift Savings Plan, pertinent amendments, and tax law, as well as relevant court decisions, regulations, rulings, opinions, and appeal decisions; (2) prepare associated regulations, rulings, advisory opinions, appeal decisions, exemptions, and other technical guides; (3) examine legislative and public policy issues that affect the management, investment practices, assets, and viability of the nation's employee benefit plans; (4) formulate statutory, regulatory, and policy proposals; and/or (5) provide policy and technical guidance on matters of enforcement.

GS-0962 - Contact Representative Series*

This series covers one-grade interval administrative support positions that supervise, lead, or perform support and related work in connection with: dispersing information to the public on rights, benefits, privileges, or obligations under a body of law;

• explaining pertinent legal provisions, regulations, and related administrative practices, and their application to specific cases; and
• assisting individuals in developing needed evidence and preparing required documents, or in resolving errors, delays, or other problems in obtaining benefits or fulfilling obligations.

GS-0963 - Legal Instruments Examining Series*

This series covers one-grade interval administrative support positions that supervise, lead, or perform support and related work in connection with the examination of legal instruments and supporting documents, other than claims, to determine whether a requested action complies with certain provisions of various laws. The work requires the application of particular regulatory and procedural knowledge that is based on those laws.

GS-0965 - Land Law Examining Series*

This series includes positions the duties of which are to administer, supervise, or perform quasi-legal work involved in processing, adjudicating and advising on applications and claims for rights, privileges, gratuities, or other benefits authorized under the various public land, mineral leasing, and mining laws. The work requires a knowledge of governing public laws and agency policies and procedures regarding the application of these laws, but does not require full professional legal training.

GS-0967 - Passport and Visa Examining Series*

This series includes positions that involve managing, supervising, or performing administrative work concerned with adjudicating applications for United States passports or visas, including related work involving determining citizenship or fitness of noncitizens for admission to the United States. The work requires knowledge of legal and regulatory provisions governing U.S. citizenship, nationality, and/or visas; and principles, systems, and operations related to the issuance of passports or other citizenship registration, certificates, or visas.

GS-0986 - Legal Assistance Series*

This series covers one-grade interval administrative support positions that supervise, lead, or perform legal assistance work not classifiable in any other series in the Legal and Kindred Group, GS-0900. The work requires specialized knowledge of processes, procedures, and practices to support legal activities.

GS-0987 - Tax Law Specialist Series

This series includes all classes of positions, not classifiable in any other series, the principal duties of which are to administer, supervise, or perform quasi-legal technical tax work requiring analysis and application of tax principles and specialized knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code and related laws, court decisions, regulations, and precedent rulings of the Internal Revenue Service, not requiring legal training equivalent to that represented by graduation from a recognized law school; in such functions as: (1) interpreting the Internal Revenue Code, related laws, regulations, rulings, and precedents; (2) preparing regulations, rulings, and technical guides; and (3) making or reviewing determinations and decisions in such matters.

GS-0991 - Workers' Compensation Claims Examining Series*

This series includes quasi-legal positions concerned with work involving the examination, development, and adjudication of claims for compensation (monies and medical services) under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, and/or the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, and/or their statutory extensions. Such work requires a comprehensive knowledge of the workers' compensation program, and an extensive lay medical knowledge of impairments and diseases.

GS-0993 - Railroad Retirement Claims Examining Series**

This series includes positions that involve managing, supervising, or performing work concerned with the administration and operation of national railroad retirement benefit programs. This includes: (1) examining, adjudicating, adjusting, authorizing, or reconsidering applications and claims for retirement, disability, survivor, and related benefits; (2) providing guidance, consultation, and staff assistance to organizations and individuals regarding retirement and related benefits; (3) formulating and evaluating program policies and functions; (4) developing procedures, methods, work aids, technical guides, and other reference material for program operations; (5) auditing the annuitant and survivor rolls and taking actions to prevent fraudulent payments; and (6) developing or conducting program training. Positions included in this series primarily require knowledge of the laws, regulations, principles, and operational requirements of national railroad retirement benefit programs; knowledge of the interrelationships among these programs and other related public and private sector programs; and analytical skills and abilities used in planning, developing, evaluating, or carrying out the operation and delivery of these programs. All positions require knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to adjudicate, authorize or reconsider claims for benefits.

GS-0996 - Veterans Claims Examining Series*

This series includes positions the duties of which are to administer, supervise, or perform quasi-legal work involved in developing, examining, adjusting, reconsidering, or authorizing the settlement of claims filed by veterans, their dependents and beneficiaries, in regard to disability compensation, disability, pension, death pension, death compensation, National Service Life Insurance and U.S. Government Life Insurance, as well as other Veterans Administration administered benefits.

GS-0998 - Claims Assistance and Examining Series*

This series covers one-grade interval administrative support positions that supervise, lead, or perform support and related work in examining, reviewing, developing, adjusting, reconsidering, or recommending authorization of claims by or against the Federal Government. The work requires knowledge of claims processing procedures and claims requirements. This includes the following:

• examine claims due to loss and damage by or against the Government;
• settle claims for the payment of monetary allowances or gratuities based upon dependency on an active or deceased former military service member;
• develop, examine, adjust, reconsider, and/or authorize settlement of claims against the Government;
• settle claims involving assets of a deceased or incompetent person that are in the possession of a Government agency; and
• examine and develop claims cases for adjudication including determining and verifying entitlement to benefits, verifying post-entitlement actions regarding beneficiaries, and answering inquiries about benefits or procedures for filing claims.

GS-0999 - Legal Occupations Student Trainee Series

See the series definition for the General Student Trainee Series, GS-0099.