The Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking experienced paralegals to work directly with attorneys on fast-paced, high-profile litigation. The successful candidates will work side-by-side with a team of attorneys and paralegals on headline-making cases.

Duties

As a Paralegal Specialist GS-0950-9/11, your typical work assignments may include the following: Conducting legal research of defined scope and complexity in connection with legal and legislative functions. Reviewing pleadings, record of proceedings, and other similar legal documents to ensure compliance with legal requirements and technical accuracy. Proofreading various documents to ensure that they are grammatically correct and accurately formatted. Verifing citations and legal references to ensure accuracy. Participating in pre-trial conferences in order to note additional matters to investigate prior to the trial. Ensuring that all government witnesses are thoroughly briefed, appear or are placed to appear in the projected order of witness testimony. Gathering and assembling documentary material information exhibits, and evidence in response to discovery request from opposing parties pursuant to the applicable rules of discovery. Using electronic databases and other electronic means to perform a variety of litigation support tasks, including organizing, indexing and summarizing documents, files and other materials. Preparing appropriate memoranda or draft reports which provide preliminary options and recommendations for use by attorneys. As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Requirements

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement, for up to 90 days. If additional openings become available in other offices within the Civil Division, additional selections can be made.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist at (GS-0950-9/11), you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below. If you are a current or former government employee (within last 52 weeks) on a permanent appointment in the competitive service, you will need to demonstrate 1-year (52-weeks) at the next lower grade level, to meet the time-in-grade requirements for this occupational series and grade. Additionally, please ensure to submit an applicable SF50 (please refer to the "required documents" section for additional information). To qualify for the GS-9, the incumbent must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-7 level: organizing evidentiary materials and maintaining litigations files; performing basic research; utilizing legal research tools; and assisting attorneys with preparing legal documents. OR Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or successfully completed at least 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR received an LL.B or J.D. Graduate Education must be in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR Have a combination of graduate education and experience, as described above that meets 100% of the requirements. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Divide your semester hours of graduate education by 36. Add the total percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.). To qualify for the GS-11, the incumbent must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-9 level: reviewing and analyzing case materials; performing legal research; verifying citations and legal references to ensure accuracy; contacting and interviewing potential witnesses for court appearances; and analyzing documents for supportive evidence. OR Have a Ph.D or equivalent degree, or successfully completed at least 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work, OR, received an LL.M. OR Have a combination of graduate education and experience , as described above that meets 100% of the requirements. (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Divide your semester hours of graduate education by 54. Add the total percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.). Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, by the closing date of this announcement, 09/18/2023. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below: Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.

Contacts

• Address Civil Division 1100 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20530 US
• Name: Brandon Cox
• Phone: 202-598-9544
• Email: [email protected]