Clarification from the agency

This position is being advertised under delegated examining procedures and is open to all U.S. Citizens. Preference for eligible veterans will be applied.

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.

The purpose of this position is to serve as a Paralegal Specialist, providing paralegal support to one or more NSD attorneys engaged in national security litigations related to counterterrorism and counter-espionage matters. Paralegal support and legal research assignments require significant knowledge of legislative and judicial decisions, opinions, determinations, and rulings of cases relevant to intelligence, terrorism, and espionage. Legal knowledge required is less than that represented by graduation from a recognized law school.

At the full performance level GS-11 the duties and responsibilities of this Paralegal Specialist position include but are not limited to:

• Support attorney in court proceedings by briefing attorney on pertinent facts, issues, and case law, and by compiling, organizing, and indexing exhibits.
• Monitor the progress of pending cases and initiate action to ensure that legal pleadings, forms, reports, correspondence, and other documents are prepared and submitted within established deadlines.
• Evaluate requests to determine the need for additional information, and evidence and plan a comprehensive approach to obtain this information and evidence.
• Perform legal research and writing of substantial variety.
• Perform extensive analysis of statutes, legislative intent and history, judicial precedents, decisions and opinions, agency rules and regulations, and law review and other articles as they relate to assigned cases to include those of an especially less complex nature.
• Utilize a variety of automated legal research tools as well as public information databases and other automated resources to research case or program specific legal matters, and participate in assigned areas of legal proceedings, e.g. electronic discovery.
• Draft correspondence and legal documents for attorney's signature.
• Draft proposed orders and decrees for signature of judges.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement, at any time, if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division, HR Operations.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist, (GS-0950-7/9), you must possess the required specialized experience specific to the series and grade you are applying to.

Minimum Qualifications for the GS-07: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector performing administrative duties within a legal office which include assisting by gathering data to prepare legal correspondence for cases; utilizing interviewing techniques and legal resources to validate information and ensure reliability.

-OR-

You have successfully completed one full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Legal Studies, Criminal Justice, and Law. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

-OR-

You have successfully completed all of the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:

1. 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; OR
2. Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your 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. OR
3. Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achshonor.org/). (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts and/or verification of class standing.)

-OR-

I have the specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and I have some graduate education as described in B, but less than the required one year. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100%. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

-OR-

I have the experience as described in A AND the education described in B or C. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

Minimum Qualifications for the GS-09: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector providing technical support to a legal office by gathering data to prepare legal correspondence for cases; utilizing interviewing techniques and legal resources to validate information and ensure reliability.

-OR-

I have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position such as: Legal Studies, Criminal Justice, and Law. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

-OR-

I have the specialized experience as described in A, but less than one year; and I have at least one year of graduate education as described in B, but less than the required two years. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100%. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

-OR-

I have the experience as described in A AND the education described in B. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)


You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/17/2025.

Your resume must support your responses to the questionnaire and qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement (01/17/2025) to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

***Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.***

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated, in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

• Administrative Law
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Research
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Writing

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and
3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.