Paralegal Specialist

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http : / / www.justice.

gov / usao / . As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 24-OKN-12555558-MS.

Duties

The incumbent of this position will be responsible for :

• Performing specialized legal research in support of forfeiture work, including research of legislative intent, controversial judicial precedents, case law, law review articles, and slip opinions.
• Utilizing 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 to participate in criminal or civil proceedings.
• Reviewing investigative reports for probable cause for forfeiture, determining the need for additional information and evidence, and planning a comprehensive approach to obtain information and evidence.
• Preparing legal pleadings necessary to commence judicial forfeiture proceedings, subsequent motions, and papers, and proposing orders to accomplish forfeiture, settlement, or dismissal.
• Assisting forfeiture AUSAs in pretrial preparations by preparing, reviewing, and organizing discovery, notifying, interviewing, and managing witnesses, and researching case law.
• Receiving transcripts of depositions and preparing summaries to assist attorneys.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Salary

$59,966 - $94,317 / year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing.

Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation

• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

GS-9 : To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below : Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience : One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level.

Specialized experience is defined as experience paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and the ability to interpret legal decisions.

• Examples of specialized experience may include the following : examining and processing a variety of legal documents; conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests;
• drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence; using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information;

document findings and preparing recommendations; searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel.

Education : One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law) : a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.

B. or J.D.); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year.

GS-11 : To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below : Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience : One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level.

Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Examples of specialized experiences may include the following : analyzing and evaluating legal decisions and case files to identify relevant issues and potential evidence;
• conducting legal research concerning precedents and past court decisions; composing legal briefs, summaries of analyses and decisions, and pretrial documents;

interviewing witnesses and various individuals who can provide insight into cases under review; and preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations.

Education : One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law) : a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree;

OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years.

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.

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.

Education : All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.

S. Department of Education.

Other Information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Any additional information you require for this job can be found in the below text Make sure to read thoroughly, then apply.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays;

telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

Selective Service : If you are a male applicant born 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.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement : Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly.

Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement : The Department of Justice is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants.

Diversity Statement : 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.

Political Appointees (Current or Former) : The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.

If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package, which includes :

• Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire.
• Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (month / day / year) of employment and work schedule for each.
• An unofficial college transcript, if applicable.
• Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable.
• CTAP / ICTAP documentation, if applicable.

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

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of all the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11 : 59 PM (ET) on 10 / 02 / 2024 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

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