Paralegal Specialist

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Chief Counsel in Long Beach, CA.

Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above. Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. This position starts at a salary of $104,349.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $135,657.00 (GS-12, Step 10).

GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts.

This position is with the Office of Assistant Chief Counsel in Long Beach, CA. The Office of Chief Counsel is one of the Government's largest and oldest legal offices. OCC attorneys work on cutting-edge legal issues and provide critical advice across the CBP portfolio, including trade enforcement, search and seizure, immigration, and government ethics. They also represent the agency in labor and employment matters and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.

In this Paralegal Specialist position, you will join a team of legal professionals within The Office of the Chief Counsel. Typical duties for this position could include:

• Receiving, investigating, examining and evaluating subpoenas, and other requests for Agency and personnel information from federal and state law enforcement agencies for possible disclosure in judicial proceedings.
• Compiling, organizing and analyzing documentary evidence of regulatory violations to be utilized by attorneys in administrative and judicial collection proceedings.
• Providing information and making recommendations in justifying the CBP's legal position in regard to legal challenges to Agency actions.
• Obtaining, organizing, analyzing and recommending agency action with respect to matters relating to the Federal Tort Claims Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.
• Organizing, summarizing, and analyzing depositions and documents obtained during discovery phase of agency litigation.

Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Participating in pre-trial and pre-hearing preparation, including scheduling and coordinating witnesses, assembling records and files, and preparing summaries of testimony from investigations, administrative proceedings, and litigation in federal and state courts.
• Researching information using various legal resources, preparing litigation documents and discovery requests, and drafting responses to motions.
• Identifying, recommending, and implementing recordkeeping systems; reviewing, analyzing, and recommending responses to administrative cases.
• Defining problems in accordance with laws, policies, or regulations; interpreting data and weighing facts to formulate legally and factually supportable positions.
• Providing advice, guidance, or instruction to colleagues on work and administrative matters, setting priorities, planning work, and meeting deadlines.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

You must:

• Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 06/26/2026.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers

Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:

• Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
• A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
• Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
• Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government

Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Relocation: Should relocation funding be available, expenses may be offered to the selectee as a lump-sum payment under CBP's Voluntary Relocation Plan test program (VRP) in lieu of any relocation benefits available under the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), 41 C.F.R., Subtitle F, Chapter 302. New appointees to the Government and non-CBP employees are not eligible to participate in the VRP. The amount of the lump-sum payment will vary depending upon whether you rent or own your current residence and whether your residence is a single or multiple-person household. Any relocation expenses incurred that are greater than the VRP lump-sum payment amount will be your responsibility, and no subsequent claims for relocation expenses will be granted by CBP. The lump-sum payment, which will be made through direct deposit, will be treated as wages and, thus, will be subject to all applicable employment tax withholdings. To be eligible for the VRP, you must sign an employment agreement by completing CBP Form 334C-1 at the time of selection. Additional information can be found in CBP Directive 5330-026a, which is available on the CBP net Policy Page.