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Paralegal Specialist

Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Office of the Solicitor General (OSG)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This flyer serves as a public notice for the use of the College Graduate Direct Hire Authority in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3327. This is a Paralegal Specialist position located in the Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General in Washington, DC. Applicants must follow the directions of the "How to Apply" section, as applications are not being accepted through USAJOBS.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/02/2025 to 09/12/2025
Salary
$69,923 to - $109,975 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OSG-25-12790535-DE
Control number
844742200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to College Graduates who received a bachelor or advanced degree from a qualifying educational institution within two years (or longer for certain veterans) of submitting an application for employment under this authority.

Duties

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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 duties and responsibilities for a Paralegal Specialist generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Communicate well orally and in writing with individuals and peers, conducting meticulous research of legislative materials and case law via various libraries, sources, legal databases, and online research data banks to find information specific to assignments.
  • Manage and organize multiple assignments with varying deadlines and conflicting priorities.
  • Correct erroneous or incomplete citations, references, assertions and quotations in briefs and other case documents.
  • Review or edit a variety of briefs, amicus briefs, briefs in opposition, merits briefs, reply to briefs, petitions, appendices, applicable titles of law; jurisdictional statements, implementing laws-and regulations; court decisions, Rules of the Supreme Court of the United States; Uniform System of Citation (Blue Book); and Rules of Citations and practice.
  • Proofread, distribute, and review page proofs (final document for publication) for accuracy and completeness of legal citations for all briefs.

Requirements

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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.
  • This vacancy is open to COLLEGE GRADUATES who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree within the last two years (certain veterans may have up to six years) to apply.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist, (GS-0950-9/11), you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below AND possess the required specialized experience specific to the series and grade you are applying to.

To qualify for the Paralegal Specialist GS-0950-09, you MUST meet the eligibility requirements and possess specialized experience: Your resume must demonstrate one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service performing duties which include but are not limited to: researching and reviewing legal, policy, or scholarly memoranda, publications, or other comparable documents.

OR

Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.

To qualify for the Paralegal Specialist GS-0950-11, you MUST meet the eligibility requirements and possess specialized experience: Your resume must demonstrate one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing duties that include, but are not limited to: advanced legal research and writing (involving sources such as legislative history, judicial decisions, and other legal precedents), or comparable advanced policy research and writing.

OR

Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M., if related.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/12/2025.

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.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be creditable toward your qualifications. Therefore, you should provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation.

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

This is a College Graduate Direct Hire Authority Flyer and applications are not being accepted through this Job Opportunity Announcement.

This announcement uses an OPM Direct Hire Authority to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Positions may be filled at either grade level.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

Veteran's preference does not apply when selecting individuals under this specific hiring authority.

Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.

Salaries for each grade level can be found at: Pay & Leave: Salaries & Wages - OPM.gov

SELECTIVE SERVICE: If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.

This position is excluded from bargaining unit.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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.

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