Paralegal Specialist

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-NV-12954656-MS. 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

OR

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 timely 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. If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team supporting the Civil Division. Typical work assignments will include:

• Provide direct legal support to attorneys as needed and backup support for other team members including docketing, calendaring, correspondence, proofreading, mailing, document management, and other administrative duties as assigned.
• Drafts legal documents such as pleadings, motions, memoranda, briefs, summonses, deposition notices, stipulations, etc. for attorney review.
• Primary responsibility for obtaining records including drafting subpoenas, following up with subpoenaed parties, drafting correspondence and legal pleadings related to subpoena enforcement.
• Prepares and maintains a variety of litigation documents, e.g., witness lists, exhibit lists, jury instructions and subpoenas that are consistent with the federal rules of procedure, local rules, and federal rules of evidence.
• Review investigative reports, testimony, interviews, files, and documents for civil cases to become familiar with the issues and identify pertinent material.
• Prepares and organizes evidence for production as discovery and for use at trial.
• Develops cases by preforming legal and factual research, compiling and analyzing case information, assisting attorneys in reviewing and obtaining evidence, and other relevant data sources.
• Participates in pre-trial witness interviews and identifies and redresses deficiencies in case materials.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. GS-09: In order to qualify for the GS-9 level of this position, you must meet ONE of the following qualification requirements:

• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in Federal service performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and ability to interpret legal decisions. Examples of qualifying experience include performing the following types of duties: 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: Possess one of the following types of education in a related field: a J.D. or LL.B; OR a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or higher; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
• COMBINATION EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: A combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate education as described in B which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. (Only graduate education in excess of 1 full year is creditable.

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. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.