This position is located in the Office of General Counsel, Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. Serves as Paralegal Specialist who analyzes information as it relates to immigration-related litigation, including drafting memos and certifications. Responds to inquiries for EOIR data and aids attorneys with compliance and reporting. Maintains litigation files in tracking systems and serves as the point of contact for administrative duties.

Duties

This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Develops written declarations, attestations and certifications related to EOIR's adjudication records and various procedures and practices to support ongoing litigation. Researches legislative history, precedent cases, and other legal authority, using Westlaw, LexisNexis, and other electronic research tools, as well as the agency library to support attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel with federal litigation matters. Writes and edits memoranda, research reports, and correspondence relating to cases and immigration issues handled by the Office of the General Counsel. Summarizes the factual situations and basis of complaints, the legal issues presented, and relevant case law. Provides assistance to attorneys in meeting compliance with federal court orders, including reporting requirements and discovery requests, and coordinates with other legal assistants and contractors to distribute responsibilities for completing litigation assignments. Creates and maintains litigation files, manages litigation assignments and communications in agency tracking systems, and serves as the point of contact for litigation-related administrative functions. Responds to inquiries for data and information maintained by the Office of the General Counsel, including identifying and retrieving records responsive to litigation-related matters. Completes other administrative functions related to management of immigration-related litigation of the Office of the General Counsel.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You must complete a background investigation, credit check, and drug test.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• Moving and Relocation Expenses are not authorized.
• Resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply section).
• A one year probationary period may be required, if not already met.
• Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for the Paralegal Specialist position, you must meet the following time in grade requirements and minimum qualifications: TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible. Please see Required Documents for additional information). Time-in-grade requirements also apply to VEOA applicants having held a GS position in the past year. AND FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Develop written declarations, attestations and certifications related to records and various procedures and practices; Performing legal research into laws, legislative history, precedent setting cases, decisions or opinions; Input and maintain information in tracking system; AND Respond to internal and external written and verbal inquires for data/information. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) -OR- Education: Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR I have an LL.M. in a directly related field. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. -OR- Combination: Have an appropriate combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed in A above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed in B above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate education in excess of two full years (36 hours) may be used to qualify. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here.

Education

ARE YOU USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY: Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Applicants can verify accreditation by clicking here. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. (Note: If you are selected for this position based on education, an official transcript will be required, prior to your first day.) You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR 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 further information, click here.

Translated transcripts are required.

Contacts

• Address Office of the General Counsel 5107 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041 US
• Name: Roshawn Plight
• Phone: 571-253-3566
• Email: [email protected]