Paralegal Specialist

Full Job Description

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

GS-05: To be eligible at the GS-5 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized experience, education, OR a combination of education and experience.

Specialized Experience: Is defined as performing paralegal or legal assistance work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research.

Examples of qualifying experience include the following: processing a variety of legal documents under close supervision; planning and organizing work; performing basic legal research; preparing rough drafts of briefs and other legal documents; assembling exhibits, legal documents; verifying citations and statutory references.

Education: Four years of education above the high school level or a bachelor's degree in a closely related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law).

Combining Education and Experience: Successfully completed post-high school education may be used to meet the total one year of specialized experience requirement equivalent to the GS-4 level.

Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.

GS-07: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level.

Specialized experience is defined as experience drafting a variety of legal documents and correspondence; assisting in trial preparation by compiling, organizing and indexing various evidentiary exhibits; reviewing legal documents to extract information related to specific issues; verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents; and utilizing various computerized database programs to organize extensive documents.

Education: One full year of graduate level education leading to a Master's degree or higher; or a completed Bachelor's Degree or equivalent with Superior Academic Achievement.

As defined by the Office of Personnel Management's Qualification Standards, Superior Academic Achievement is the completion of a full four year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree and meets one of the following provisions: (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for all completed undergraduate course work or for all courses completed in the last two full years of undergraduate work; (2) a GPA of 3.5 or higher for all courses in the major field of study, or those courses in a major completed in the last two full years of undergraduate work; (3) ranking in the upper one-third of a college, university, or major subdivision or (4) membership in a national scholastic honor society.

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 1 full year.

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/. Major Duties:

If selected for this position, you will serve as a Paralegal Specialist with the United States Attorney's Office.

Duties will include, but are not limited to: Review and organize complex factual material and other documentary data for investigations and trials.

Prepare a variety of substantive legal documents to include extradition requests, grand jury and trial subpoenas, interrogatory requests, and documentation relevant to acquiring evidence or testimony.

Provide advice on the most efficient method for preparing legal documents. Use tables and citation checking with efficiency. Develop and enter various case material into a computer database.

Prepare charts, graphs, and tables to illustrate results. Prepare, develop, compile, or maintain jury instructions in preparing for trial.

Prepare exhibits for trial, which typically involve a wide range of visual materials. Provide litigation case management and organize cases for court presentation.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.