Paralegal Specialist

The Department of Justice, Criminal Division investigates and prosecutes complex criminal matters and assists the United States Attorney's Offices in investigations, trials, and appeals. This posting is for open Paralegal Specialist positions within various sections of the Criminal Division, to include:

• Appellate Section (APP);
• Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP);
• Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF); and
• Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS).

There is no education requirement for this position.
Paralegal Specialist positions are available in the following sections of the Criminal Division:

• Appellate Section (APP): APP defends the integrity and constitutionality of federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. Appellate Section attorneys litigate cases in the Supreme Court and the federal courts of appeals, in collaboration with the Office of the Solicitor General, other components of the Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country.
• Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP): HRSP protects the American public and U.S. interests from serious threats to public safety, border security, immigration systems, and individual rights by prosecuting: (1) leaders and members of criminal networks and cartels responsible for proli?c transnational alien smuggling, human traf?cking, and related immigration fraud crimes; (2) individuals and enterprises implicated in other human traf?cking offenses involving forced labor, sex trafficking, and related coercion-based trafficking crimes; (3) persons who have committed human rights violations including genocide, torture, war crimes, and other atrocities, including those who ?ee to the United States seeking safe harbor after committing such crimes or who commit immigration fraud by concealing their past crimes; and (4) persons who committed violent crime abroad where a U.S. citizen is a victim or perpetrator. As part of its mission, HRSP helps lead Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).
• Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF): MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
• Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS): VCRS is a specialized group of prosecutors charged with developing and implementing strategies to disrupt and dismantle regional, national and international gangs and organized crime groups. VCRS, in partnership with United States Attorney's Offices, prosecutes significant Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) and violent crime cases against the most dangerous criminal groups in the U.S.

This vacancy includes a Selective Placement Factor. Please see below for more information.

As a Paralegal Specialist within a section of the Criminal Division, you may perform duties such as:

• Assisting at all levels in the development of criminal litigation or appeals, beginning at the investigation level, to filing pleadings with the court.
• Assisting attorneys by preparing filings and exhibits for trials or appeals.
• Organizing case documents, conducting first-level document review, and coordinating document productions.
• Proofreading and cite-checking legal briefs, memoranda, and other documents, and ensuring accordance with Bluebook and/or other citation and style requirements for legal writing.
• Conducting various document searches using document management databases such as Relativity.
• Producing work products that are well written, clear, and free of errors.
• Preparing for interviews, depositions, hearings, and appeals.
• Conducting extensive and thorough research in a variety of legal and non-legal databases and providing information in response to a wide range of questions.
• Preparing and organizing evidence, discovery and trial exhibits, such as statistical charts, graphs, and maps, to be presented in court.

To qualify at the GS-09 level, applicants must demonstrate one of the qualifications as listed below:

• Have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-07 level. This experience must include duties such as: conducting legal research; writing legal reports, to include summarizing factual information, legal issues, and case law relevant to a given case; and assisting with the preparation of exhibits, such as statistical charts, graphs and maps to be presented in court; OR
• Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree, LL.B, J.D., or equivalent degree that demonstrates the competencies needed to do the work of the position may be substituted for the experience required; OR
• A combination of education and experience as listed above. Please note, only education in excess of one year of graduate education may be used in this calculation.

To qualify at the GS-11 level, applicants must demonstrate one of the qualifications as listed below:

• Have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-09 grade level. This experience must include duties such as: independently conducting legal research for litigation or appeals; reviewing evidence such as subpoenas and witness binders for use during litigation or appeals; writing legal reports, to include summarizing factual information, legal issues and case law relevant to a given case; and preparing exhibits, such as statistical charts, graphs and maps, to be presented in court; OR
• Three years of progressively higher graduate education, leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR
• A combination of education and experience.

Selective Placement Factor: To qualify for this position at the GS-09/11 grade level, applicants must be proficient in English writing. Applicants' proficiency in (English) writing will be assessed through an online (USA Hire) writing assessment. Applicants who do not display a minimum level of proficiency on the USA Hire Writing Assessment will be ineligible for further consideration.

Combination of Education and Experience - Your current education completed is credited as a percentage of the education required for the grade level and your current experience is credited as a percentage of the total experience required for the grade level. The two percentages are added and must equal 100% in order to qualify for the desired grade level.

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 www.ed.gov.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.