Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate)

Join the team! This position is located in the Division of Enforcement & Litigation, Office of Compliance and Field Operations. The Office identifies & investigates potentially hazardous products; enforces mandatory standards & regulations; negotiates voluntary recalls, other corrective actions & civil penalties; conducts administrative litigation to obtain mandatory recalls; and assists in the drafting & review of rules and regulations affecting CPSC's compliance and enforcement authority.

Mandatory Education Requirement. All applicants must meet one of the following requirements to qualify:

GS-07: Applicants must have 1 full year of graduate level education or undergraduate superior academic achievement.

In order to be creditable under the provision, superior academic achievement (SAA) must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

SAA is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

• 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR
• 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies.

GS-09: Applicants must have a master’s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D.

All applicants MUST submit a copy of their college transcripts with the degree conferred date. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable during the application process. Official transcripts will be required upon appointment.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified.

The CPSC is seeking recent graduates under the Pathways Program. This position will be assigned to one of the branches in the Enforcement & Litigation Division. This opportunity provides the candidate with a desire to work in the consumer product safety field and/or public sector and assignments are designed to complement the graduates educational field while meeting the expressed needs of the agency and CPSC organizations.

The incumbent will be responsible for completing the following:

• Case development, including reviewing and summarizing documents, developing and summarizing evidence, and analyzing data;
• Document management, including providing docket support and assisting in document collection, filing, and production;
• Sample collection and tracking;
• Support in preparing for Commission briefings and administrative hearings, including preparing charts, graphs, tables, and other exhibits, and document management and other support during briefings and hearings.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to participate in this program:

• You must have a final cumulative Grade Point Average of at least a 3.0.
• Current Students may apply up to 90 days prior to their graduation date.
• Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying technical education program including: associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or a qualifying career program which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps.
• Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.
• May submit unofficial transcript(s). Official transcript(s) will be required, if applicant is selected for a position.