Paralegal Specialist (Financial Litigation)

The Financial Litigation Paralegal Specialist will be assigned to the Civil Division, Financial Litigation Program, and will be responsible for the enforcement and collection of criminal and civil debts both in pre-and-post judgment status.

Typical duties include: Researching case law, regulations, and policy; analyzing facts, evaluating approaches, and advising attorneys of findings and recommending courses of action.

Using independent judgment in the application of particular laws, regulations, and precedents unique to the federal debt collection and other affirmative litigation cases assigned to the district.

Processing criminal and civil cases involving the collection of federal debt, interviewing debtors, determining the ability to pay, and developing and approving repayment plans, through a subordinate staff.

Preparing and reviewing quality control reports from the financial litigation databases and automated tracking systems to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the office's overall debt collection operation.

Fielding calls and questions from other government employees, bank officials, title companies/real estate personnel, investigators, debtors, lawyers, spouses, business partners, and occasionally victims of crime. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

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: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level performing the following types of duties: 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 pre-trial documents; interviewing witnesses and various individuals who can provide insight into cases under review; preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations; and determining the appropriate pleadings and orders needed to initiate post-judgment remedies such as garnishments and examination of judgment debtors.

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

OR Combining Education and Experience: Combination of specialized experience as described above, and graduate-level education as described above which when combined equal 100% of the requirements.

To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate hours that exceed 36 semester hours (or your school's definition of two years of graduate study), then divide the total number of excess semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study).

To calculate your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%.

(Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used in this calculation.) 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.

Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.