Paralegal Specialist

Full Job Description

The incumbent will perform legal and factual research and other closely related duties in support of attorneys engaged in civil rights cases and matters.

To be eligible at the GS 7 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, public or other private sectors that is directly related to the position as listed above and which has equipped the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Specialized experience for this position includes ALL of the following: - reviewing legal documents to extract information related to specific issues; AND - assisting in trial preparation by compiling, organizing and indexing various evidentiary exhibits; AND - verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents.

OR Education: Successful completion of one (1) full year of progressively higher level graduate education (18 semester hours or the number of units your school uses to describe one graduate year of academic study) leading to a master's degree; or LL.B.

or JD; OR A bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement.

Superior academic achievement is as follows: (1) standing in the upper third of your graduating class or major subdivision; or (2) membership in one of the qualifying National Scholastic Honor Societies; or (3) Grade Point Average.

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.

A transcript must be submitted to receive consideration.

OR Combination of 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, a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education as described above, which when combined equal 100% of the requirements.

To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours then divide the total number of your graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study).

To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together.

The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%.

(Only graduate education in excess of the first full year may be used in this calculation.) Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

During the eligibility review process, the Human Resources Specialist will only review the latest document uploaded to USA Jobs.

Therefore, if you submit duplicate documents, ensure the last version uploaded to USA Jobs is the necessary document required to meet the criteria/qualifications described in this job announcement.

Note: Applicants are required to have completed their degree prior to submitting an application.

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:

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 an inclusive work environment.

To build and retain a workforce that reflects the multitude of experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

If selected as a Paralegal Specialist GS-0950-7, typical work assignments may vary based upon the needs of the individual sections, their practice areas, and a host of other factors.

Typical assignments include: Researches and analyzes data, issues, and information that support project recommendations or the work assignments or higher-grade specialists.

Conducts regular interactions with colleagues and supervisors to complete work assignments.

Presents facts, issues, and positions that convey the intended information with the appropriate diplomacy and emphasis.

Interprets and applies pertinent regulation and style manuals governing written communications to prepare written material which communicate the intended information.