Paralegal Specialist
This position is also announced under vacancy number OGC-26-13007898-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.
College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), name of accredited institution, course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.
Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.
Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.
As a Paralegal Specialist, you will perform the following duties:
- Support NOAA's Office of the General Counsel (GC) to research existing and proposed NOAA policies, identify potential legal problems, prepare reports of findings, and recommend appropriate solutions.
- Assist GC attorneys with trial research, litigation, and negotiated agreements and settlements on routine matters with commercial, governmental, and administrative entities, employees and the public.
- Prepare affidavits, legal evidence, position statements, responses to requests for public records, and other legal paperwork in coordination with Federal, state, or local jurisdictions.
- Prepare or assist with training and education presentations, classes, and workshops to other paralegals and GC personnel.
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
To qualify at the GS-11 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Providing assistance and supporting attorneys to prepare and conduct depositions, hearings, trials, or other legal proceedings;
- Utilizing automated case management and electronic litigation support systems to provide assistance with processing, proofreading, cite-checking, or editing draft legal documents; and
- Drafting training presentations on legal topics for paralegals and general audiences.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.
OR
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of related graduate level education and specialized experience.
