For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/ As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced under Merit Promotion Procedures under Announcement No. 24-DC-12555135-DE.

Duties

This position is located in the Paralegal Support Section, Appellate Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC). The incumbent provides substantive legal support to Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in a variety of specialized litigative activities related to civil and/or criminal appeals. The incumbent will perform a variety of complex paralegal support assignments relating to appellate practice, which includes providing paralegal services to one or more supervisory/non-supervisory Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Appellate Division. The work requires a specialized knowledge of the procedures and practices related to defending the criminal convictions or civil judgments obtained by the USAO-DC and bringing affirmative appeals to higher courts in response to rulings adverse to the United States. The incumbent will apply specialized knowledge of particular laws, regulations, precedents, and agency practices that directly affect the outcome of cases. Typical work assignments include: Serves as a senior paralegal specialist with responsibility for performing specialized legal research and writing in support of appellate practices, including cases of an especially complex or unprecedented nature. Assists appellate attorneys by conducting legal and factual research for appellate briefs, drafts pleadings and motions to be filed in the courts of appeals; locating and organizing materials that must be included in the record in connection with appeals and advisory services when these assignments require a specialized knowledge of law. Reviews and prepares a variety of substantive legal documents in final form in accordance with local and federal rules governing style and format. Prepares Table of Authorities listing all cases, statutes and other reference material cited in document, generates addendum of statutes cited and compiles, copies and collates record material and appendices for submission with briefs. Reviews trial records and exhibits to determine documents needed for government's record material to be filed with its appellate brief. Devises, evaluates, and adapts fact-finding and problem solving methods to handles voluminous records. Advises appellate attorneys of missing items in the records, and recommends solutions for obtaining that material such as filing motions to supplement the record and drafting such motions. Cite-checks and proofreads appellate briefs and motions. Prepares various pleadings related to government appeals. Coordinates with other divisions of the USAODC to file transcript status reports, status reports for cases held in abeyance, certificates of parties, rulings and related cases, and motions to govern further proceedings. Prepares responses to appellants' requests to unseal proceedings. Conducts factual inquiry into the merits of the requests, including conferring with trial AUSAs regarding the government's continued interest in keeping the record sealed. Monitors the progress of pending cases and initiates action to insure that legal pleadings, forms, reports, correspondence, and other documents are prepared and submitted within established deadlines. Compiles, organizes and indexes various discovery and evidence exhibits for appeals, witness testimony as it relates to specific criminal charge evidence, and develops and compiles record material to assist AUSA in preparing for their brief and argument. Uses established network and maintain databases, e.g., Lexis, Westlaw, RCIS, PACER, CASEVIEW, to perform data searches, report design, and other data retrieval assignments and generate reports of a recurring or special nature. Monitors electronic databases in two appellate courts and works to ensure that pleadings and other documents are properly filed in the court and distributed within the Appellate Division. Provides a variety of legal assistance and technical work requiring a specialized knowledge of processes, procedures, and practices to support legal activities. Support assignments of this nature involve the form, content and issues of legal instruments and documents, and the steps and procedures involved in e-filing, processing, storing, and retrieving legal actions and legal information pertaining to the activities of the USAO. Characteristic assignments of this nature include one or more of the following: serves as contact person for assigned cases and provides information and assistance concerning status or relevant procedural issues; exercises discretion and judgment in determining what information may be provided and to whom; provides advice to attorneys and other legal support staff on the most effective and efficient ways to prepare, present and maintain a variety of administrative legal documents, e.g., discovery letters, exhibit lists, jury instructions and subpoenas. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, OR Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9 level work in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the competencies needed to perform the job duties. Examples of specialized experience are: conducting independent legal research to verify citation and statutory references and prepare legal documents; applying knowledge of the litigation process, court rules and procedures to determine action needed and forms to be completed, time limits and processing requirements; using information technology to develop, prepare and monitor reports and the status of projects and assignments; communicating with management, office personnel, court staff, law enforcement and the public as a liaison for the division; using online databases to research information, legal research and case data; managing discovery and evidence in electronic and hard copy formats; provides automated litigation assistance to attorneys as needed for the appeal; using software applications and graphics hardware such as scanners and plotters; provides technical support, such as enlarging charts and photographs, duplicating tapes and videos, and marking exhibits. OR Education: One of the following types of education in a related field: 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. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university. OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 3 full years. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

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 http://www.ed.gov
OR
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 http://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.

Contacts

• Address US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia 601 D Street NW Washington, DC 20002 US
• Name: Ann Lawrence
• Phone: (202) 252-6695
• Email: [email protected]