This position is located in the Environmental Enforcement Section. EES is responsible for bringing civil judicial actions under federal laws enacted to protect public health and the environment from pollution, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Superfund law. The incumbent will provide paralegal support to the Section's attorneys in all aspects of affirmative civil litigation, including case development, community outreach and engagement, electronic discovery, and trials.

Duties

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. As a Paralegal Specialist, typical work assignments may include the following: Performing research in various databases including Westlaw, PACER and Lexis; performing cite checks pursuant to The Bluebook, compiling legislative histories; proofreading and editing legal briefs and memoranda prior to filing in court; and ensuring conformance of documents to applicable court rules. Conducting document management, including creating and maintaining litigation databases. Organizing and writing synopses of factual materials; summarizing depositions; preparing, organizing, and indexing administrative records; and preparing non-legal memoranda. Providing assistance at hearings and/or trials, for example, preparing exhibits and coordinating travel and trial logistics. Performing case docketing; maintaining filing deadline calendar and coordinating with attorneys on each court filing; and preparing and assisting with filing all documents using PACER (ECF) and LEXIS-NEXIS (CourtLink) systems Supporting attorneys and case teams in their efforts to identify and collect information for discovery, including e-discovery, purposes. Assisting with community engagement efforts - identifying interested members of the community, helping arrange for public presentation venues and materials, and helping plan for language access needs.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You must complete a background investigation to include drug testing.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• You must complete or have completed a one-year probationary period.
• You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.
• Telework available in accordance with agency policy.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at GS-7, you must have one of the following: A. At least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-5 Federal grade level providing litigation support in a legal environment. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, using litigation software to identify documents potentially relevant to litigation cases or maintaining legal databases used to track the production and receipt of documents, or B. A bachelor's degree and Superior Academic Achievement (See below), or C. One full year of graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work, or D. A combination of education and specialized experience, that together meet 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Superior Academic Achievement: This provision applies to persons who have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university as evidenced by one of three methods described below (within a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled): Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. To qualify for this position at GS-9, you must have one of the following: A. At least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-7 Federal grade level or above utilizing automated legal databases to verify legal citations and statutory references; analyzing and organizing factual, legal, and archival records; providing assistance to attorneys in preparation for hearings and/or trials; and creating and maintaining litigation databases for management of case materials; or B. A master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or LL.B or J.D. Such education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Paralegal Specialist; or C. A combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. (Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation).

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address Environmental Enforcement Sect 150 M Street NE Washington, DC 20002 US
• Name: Carmen Browne
• Phone: (202) 616-3127
• Email: [email protected]