Paralegal Specialist (Fair Housing and Civil Rights)

This position is located at Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel.

This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement 26-HUD-12993019. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

This job does not have an education qualification requirement. HUD's Mission
The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is to foster strong communities by supporting access to quality, affordable housing, expanding the housing supply, and unlocking homeownership opportunities for the American people. The Department is committed to furthering the promise of self-sufficiency in every American while promoting economic development to revitalize rural, tribal, and urban communities across the country.

This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Deputy General Counsel for Fair Housing, Litigation and Enforcement (FHLE), Office of Fair Housing. OGC is the chief legal office of the Department, the principal legal adviser to the Secretary and staff of HUD, and the head of the Departmental Enforcement Center. OGC provides legal opinions, advice, and services with respect to all Departmental programs and activities, and assists in the development of HUD programs and policies. OGC also provides functional legal counsel on defensive and affirmative litigation and the development of legislation and regulations. The Deputy General Counsel for Fair Housing, Litigation and Enforcement (FHLE), Office of Fair Housing provides effective and comprehensive legal advice and services in connection with the administration and enforcement of civil rights and fair housing authorities, including the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). These include laws administered by HUD and those that apply to HUD's programs and activities.

As a/an Paralegal Specialist (Fair Housing and Civil Rights), you will:
- Read, edit, draft, and analyze documents, conduct legal and nonlegal research, review and proofread documents, check citations in briefs and clearance documents, prepare tables of authorities, attend meetings on behalf of and with the Associate General Counsel, and provide reports regarding such meetings.
- Conduct independent research on and interprets new developments from case law, regulations, legislation, precedential cases, and legal opinions relating to all areas of work in the office and devise effective ways to communicate and summarize relevant changes to legal requirements and other information to the Associate General Counsel in order to inform decision making and resolution of contentious issues.
- Prepare drafts of letters and legal memoranda, review clearance documents to identify basic, complex, and cross-cutting legal issues and prepares draft concurring and non-concurring comments.
- Assist with the overall work of the office, including fair housing and civil rights matters, creating, maintaining, and organizing files on behalf of the Associate General Counsel, assisting the Associate General Counsel and OFH attorneys.
- Analyze legal documents, including complaints, affidavits, depositions, pleadings, motions, memoranda, regulations, and legislation, and any other policy and legal documents necessary for conducting the work of the office.
- Serve as a reader and paralegal specialist to the Associate General Counsel who is a blind attorney executive, including by reading complex and lengthy legal documents aloud and interacting with legal and administrative systems on behalf of the Associate General Counsel.

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized Experience: For the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes:

- Experience regularly performing independent legal research, analysis, and writing relating to fair housing, civil rights, or the Violence Against Women Act; OR
- Experience regularly performing independent legal research, analysis, writing, and substantive legal support functions that require a specialized knowledge of fair housing, civil rights, public benefits, disability law, housing programs, including federal or state case law, regulations, statutes and legislative histories, agency policies and practices, law reviews, or administrative and judicial proceedings; OR
- Experience drafting and reviewing investigative materials, complaints, letters, legal opinions or determinations, factual findings, legal and policy memoranda; OR
- Experience preparing detailed factual summaries and written analyses of facts in investigation, litigation, or benefit determinations under a Federal or state law or regulations that prohibit discrimination, prohibit domestic violence, or establish eligibility requirements for a benefit provided under Federal or State law, such as Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, public housing or another program for low income persons, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or a comparable Federal, State, or local government program.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.