Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate) Appellate Section

This is an excepted service appointment under the Department of Justice Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment.

A recent grad converted to a term appointment may be subsequently converted non-competitively into a permanent competitive service position before the term expires.

This position is in the Criminal Division, Appellate Section.

The information below covers the role requirements, expected candidate experience, and accompanying qualifications.

Duties

The Criminal Division's Appellate Section plays a central role in litigating many of the most important and cutting-edge cases in federal criminal law.

Section attorneys draft briefs and argue appeals in federal circuit courts throughout the country; draft briefs in criminal cases before the United States Supreme Court;

and prepare recommendations to the Solicitor General on whether to seek further review of judicial decisions in federal criminal cases that are adverse to the United States.

Section attorneys also serve as principal legal advisors to Department leadership on criminal-law issues. The Section's cases frequently involve novel questions of constitutional and statutory interpretation, substantive criminal law, criminal procedure, and the rules of evidence.

As a Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate), your responsibilities may include :

• Providing litigation support to Section attorneys by checking record citations and legal citations in briefs and other documents for accuracy and consistency.
• Proofreading briefs, motions, and other documents prepared by Section attorneys.
• Assembling tables of authorities and tables of contents for legal briefs.
• Maintaining detailed knowledge of legal citation methods, including Bluebook rules, to identify citations in briefs and ensure consistency of citation in tables.
• Maintaining detailed knowledge of court rules on preparation and filing of documents to ensure compliance.
• Assembling record material for court filings, including multi-volume appendices and electronic media.
• Conducting factual and legal research in proprietary and open-source databases and providing information in response to attorney inquiries.
• Managing the Section's library holdings, including by ensuring that reference materials are organized, accessible, and up-to-date.
• Assisting with case and docket management, including compiling information and preparing reports concerning case status, managing the Section's case tracking system, docketing requests for comment on legislative and policy proposals submitted by other Department or government components, and maintaining the Section's database of Supreme Court petitions and internal brief bank.

Salary : $55,924 - $88,926 / year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
• You must complete the online questionnaire and additional assessment(s).
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Direct Deposit : All federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this recent graduate position, one of the following requirements must be met :

• Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
• Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.

To qualify at the GS-07 grade level :

• A bachelor's degree AND meet one of the following provisions for Superior Academic Achievement :
• One (1) full academic year of graduate level education; OR
• One (1) year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level.

Selective Placement Factor : To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, applicants must be proficient in (English) writing.

How to Apply : Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required documents sections.

Benefits : A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

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