Paralegal Specialist

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under 26-MT-13021074-DE.

Duties

• Organizes and prepares research material and determines information that is pertinent to the case.
• Drafts legal documents that identify the legal or factual issues in the case, locate precedents, and develop legally supportable conclusions.
• May assist Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) in court during hearings and trials.
• Participates in pre-trial witness conferences, noting any deficiencies in case materials (e.g., missing documents, conflicting statements) and additional issues or other matters requiring investigation prior to trial.
• Determines which statutes, regulations, cases, procedures, and/or policies need to be researched and assembled, prepping initial summary and making recommendations as to appropriateness of data.

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

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes 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.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

GS-09:

To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and the ability to interpret legal decisions. Examples of specialized experience may include the following:

• Examining and processing a variety of legal documents;
• Conducting research, analysis, and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests;
• Drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence;
• Using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information;
• Documenting findings and preparing recommendations;
• Searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel.

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.); OR
• 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year.

GS-11:

To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level. Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Examples of specialized experiences may include the following:

• Independently analyzing and evaluating legal decisions and case files to identify relevant issues and potential evidence;
• Independently conducting legal research concerning precedents and past court decisions;
• Independently composing legal briefs, summaries of analyses and decisions, and pre-trial documents;
• Interviewing witnesses and various individuals who can provide insight into cases under review;
• Preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations.

Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law):

• A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR
• 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M.

Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years.

Additional Information

• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, you must be found well-qualified for this vacancy, satisfy all qualification requirements, and provide proof of eligibility such as a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To receive selection priority, you must be found well-qualified for this vacancy, satisfy all qualification requirements, and provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility.
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three or more years of continuous active military service. If applying under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214.
• Special Employment Consideration: Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university 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 http://www.ed.gov.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. 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; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.