Paralegal Specialist

As a Paralegal Specialist, you will: Help assure compliance with current rules and procedures for administrative forums and courts, including reviewing standing orders and e-filing procedures. Assist attorneys with electronic discovery obligations, including legal holds, and the organization and management of electronic documents and data.

Perform research using computer research tools, including to cite check briefs. Assist with document exchanges between client agencies, and various State or local agencies-using various platforms.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GS-11 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one-year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Applying laws, court and/or administrative decisions and interpretations, rules, regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to the administration of legal programs.

Assisting attorneys to prepare hearings/trials by compiling, organizing and indexing evidentiary materials. Using legal databases to conduct research and locate pertinent case law, statutes, regulations and policies.

Preparing drafts or legal documents (e.g., memoranda of law, discovery responses, subpoena requests, etc); researching, identifying, analyzing and summarizing pertinent facts from case reports, legal decisions and organization precedents.

OR Have a Ph.D. or equivalent graduate degree, or successfully completed at least 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field that is directly related to the duties of this position, OR received an LL.M.

OR Have a combination of graduate education and experience, as described above that meets 100% of the requirements. GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Analyzing legal decisions and case files to identify relevant issues and potential evidence.

Conducting legal research concerning precedents and past court decisions using databases such as Lexis-Nexis, Westlaw and internet search engines for research and litigation tracking purposes. Composing legal briefs, summaries of analyses, decisions, and pre-hearing documents.

Performing legal and factual citation verification of documents using sherardizing and Bluebook-compliant review of briefs, legal memoranda, and related materials. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time.

As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description.

Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment.

The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record.

In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; community; student; social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website