Paralegal Specialist

Full Job Description

This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) located in Pittsburgh, PA.

The selectee serves as a Paralegal Specialist responsible for conducting adjudicatory hearings and issuing decisions for the Department of Labor under more than 80 different laws and executive orders.

This position is Inside the bargaining unit. You must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education Substitution to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Position titles alone cannot be used to determine if you are qualified. Please list dates in MM/DD/YY format.

This is imperative in determining if whether you have at least one year of creditable specialized experience. Dates will not be assumed.

GS-09: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service.

Examples of specialized experience include: Overseeing caseload management by tracking essential documents, responses, and timelines; coordinating schedules for various legal proceedings, and/or providing support to ensure effective case processing; Evaluating case-related materials to identify necessary support for court activities and assisting with the smooth operation of proceedings (i.e.

docket reports, managing exhibits, assisting witnesses and jurors, etc.); Assessing submissions for compliance and ensuring adherence to established guidelines, while also addressing inquiries from stakeholders regarding procedural matters; Identifying deficiencies on improperly filed documents (i.e.

cases, exhibits, and judicial proceedings) in electric filing systems (EFS).

Or Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge's, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position Or Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate education that provided the knowledge's, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position Or Successful completion of a LL.B or J.D that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

Major Duties:

Provides research, legal support, and case development services to assigned OALJ's.

Researches and determines the specific legal actions which are necessary to prepare cases for hearing, such as developing and issuing various types of orders to obtain the required information.

Analyzes and prepares responses and actions resulting from orders and motions, ensuring that claimants, representatives, and attorneys meet legal requirements.

Prepares necessary legal documents for hearings, anticipates issues that may arise, and researches information, laws, and precedent cases for the ALJ's.

The incumbent provides information to attorneys and judges on the status of cases, actions required to bring cases to hearing, and an eventual decision being issued by the ALJ.

Examines, analyzes, and evaluates the information, documentation, and factual and legal issues presented in case files to determine whether additional pre-hearing actions such as motions resolution, orders, extension, and continuances must be taken before cases are ready for hearing.

Triages cases to determine the specific legal actions necessary to prepare cases for hearing and take appropriate actions such as developing and issuing various types of orders indicating the precise nature of information required.

Analyzes post-hearing briefs to help process the case and prepares for the Judge's final decision.

Performs legal research to ensure that the case law cited is the applicable precedent; reviews transcripts for factual determinations.

Assists in planning and managing the OALJ law library; reviewing and responding to requests for subpoenas and preparing required documents; preparing requests and dispositions for Settlement Judges on cases referred under the Settlement Judge or Alternate Dispute Resolution process; follows the established appeals process and maintains records and statistics for the several legal processes within the agency.