Paralegal Specialist - Appellate Division (Pathways Recent Graduate)

This is an excepted service appointment under the Pathways Recent Graduates Program. This appointment is a one-year career development program. At the successful completion of the program requirements, you may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a Federal career or career-conditional appointment. For more information on the Pathways Program, please visit: OPM Pathways Program.

About the role

We are currently accepting applications for a Paralegal Specialist within the Appellate Division of the Northern District of Indiana. This position can be located in Fort Wayne, Hammond, or South Bend. This position has promotion potential to the GS-11 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on demonstrated ability, continuing need, and regulatory approval. Promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research on cases and issues identified by AUSAs, utilizing statutes, case law, regulations, court rules, legal treatises, legal periodicals, and policy documents.
• Prepare drafts of a variety of legal documents, such as pleadings, memoranda of law, trial briefs, appellate briefs, summonses, complaints, indictments, answers, motion papers, and stipulations.
• Review and organize complex factual material and other documentary data for appellate briefing.
• Provide advice on the most efficient method for preparing legal documents.
• Generate tables, proofread drafts, and check citations in drafts with efficiency.
• Develop and enter various case material into a computer database.
• Maintain calendars and track deadlines for court filings.
• Provide advanced case support to AUSAs by reviewing witness materials, identifying deficiencies, and coordinating needed investigative follow-up.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• You must submit a transcript or proof of degree/certificate.
• Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the entire duration of their excepted service appointment.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Qualifications

To be eligible for a recent graduate appointment, all of the following requirements must be met:

• Recent Graduates must have obtained a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying accredited educational institution within the previous 2 years, unless military service interfered. Veterans may apply within 2 years of discharge or 6 years from the date of receipt of the degree, whichever comes first. Verify accreditation status at U.S. Department of Education.
• Recent graduates must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States.
• All recent graduates are required to sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement.

GS-7 Level:

To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level, defined as experience drafting a variety of legal documents and correspondence. Examples include:
  • Assisting in the preparation and organization of documentation and evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial.
  • Compiling, organizing, and indexing evidentiary exhibits for use at hearings or trial.
  • Preparing draft lists of exhibits to be offered at trial.
  • Reviewing legal documents to extract information related to specific issues.
  • Verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents.
  • Utilizing various computerized database programs to organize extensive documents.
• Education: Successful completion of one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education (18 semester hours) in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Paralegal Studies, Law) leading to a master's degree, or a completed bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement.
• Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

GS-9 Level:

To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level, defined as experience performing legal research using statutes, case law, regulations, court rules, treatises, policy documents, and electronic databases such as Westlaw and Lexis. Examples include:
  • Summarizing findings into memoranda, annotated references, bibliographies, and organized research packages to support appellate litigation.
  • Drafting pleadings, memoranda, briefs, motions, and other legal documents by incorporating legal references, analyzing precedents, proofreading, and citation checks for accuracy.
  • Assisting with oral-argument preparation by gathering and indexing briefs, case law, and record materials under established procedures.
• Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law):
  • A Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D.).
  • Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
• Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Graduate education must be in excess of one full year.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education

You may use foreign education to meet qualification requirements if you send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. More information may be found at U.S. Department of Education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Benefits

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.