Paralegal Specialist

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Chicago, IL. Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

Duties

This position is with the Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Chicago, IL. The Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) is one of the Government's largest and oldest legal offices. OCC attorneys work on cutting-edge legal issues and provide critical advice across the CBP portfolio, including trade enforcement, search and seizure, immigration, and government ethics. They also represent the agency in labor and employment matters and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice. This position starts at a salary of $83,482.00 (GS-11, Step 1) to $130,080.00 (GS-12, Step 10). GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position. Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts. In this Paralegal Specialist position, you will join a team of legal professionals within the Office of Chief Counsel. Typical duties for this position could include: Providing litigation support to attorneys in administrative and judicial proceedings, including compiling, organizing and analyzing documentary evidence of regulatory violations to be utilized by attorneys in administrative and judicial collection proceedings, as well as organizing, summarizing, and analyzing depositions and documents obtained during discovery phase of agency litigation; Performing legal research and assisting with drafting advice in all areas of the attorney practice portfolios, ranging from labor and employment to trade, and enforcement Law; Providing information and making recommendations in justifying CBP's legal position regarding legal challenges to Agency actions; Obtaining, organizing, analyzing and recommending agency action with respect to matters relating to the Federal Tort Claims Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act; Receiving, investigating, examining and evaluating subpoenas, and other requests for Agency and personnel information from federal and state law enforcement agencies for possible disclosure in judicial proceedings Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here. Relocation: Should relocation funding be available, expenses may be offered to the selectee as a lump-sum payment under CBP's Voluntary Relocation Plan test program (VRP) in lieu of any relocation benefits available under the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), 41 C.F.R., Subtitle F, Chapter 302. New appointees to the Government and non-CBP employees are not eligible to participate in the VRP. The amount of the lump-sum payment will vary depending upon whether you rent or own your current residence and whether your residence is a single or multiple-person household. Any relocation expenses incurred that are greater than the VRP lump-sum payment amount will be your responsibility, and no subsequent claims for relocation expenses will be granted by CBP. The lump-sum payment, which will be made through direct deposit, will be treated as wages and, thus, will be subject to all applicable employment tax withholdings. To be eligible for the VRP, you must sign an employment agreement by completing CBP Form 334C-1 at the time of selection. Additional information can be found in CBP Directive 5330-026a, which is available on the CBP net Policy Page.

Qualifications

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Receiving, investigating, examining and evaluating subpoenas, and other requests for Agency and personnel information from federal and state law enforcement agencies for possible disclosure in judicial proceedings Compiling, organizing and analyzing documentary evidence of regulatory violations to be utilized by attorneys in administrative and judicial collection proceedings Providing information and making recommendations in justifying CBP's legal position regarding legal challenges to Agency actions Obtaining, organizing, analyzing and recommending agency action with respect to matters relating to the Federal Tort Claims Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act Organizing, summarizing, and analyzing depositions and documents obtained during discovery phase of agency litigation. Education Substitution: GS-11: You may substitute a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or L.L.M for the experience required at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours. You are required to submit proof of your claim. Combining Experience and Education at GS 11: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level, by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%. Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Participating in pre-trial and pre-hearing preparation; scheduling and coordination of witnesses, assembly of administrative records and files, preparing digests of transcripts of testimony from formal investigations, administrative proceedings and litigation in Federal and state courts Researching information using various legal resources; preparing litigation documents and discovery requests; responses to various motions Identifying, recommending and implementing record keeping systems, reviewing, analyzing and recommending responses to administrative cases; Defining the problem in terms compatible with the laws, policies, or regulations; interpreting considerable data, weighing facts in order to formulate a legally and factually supportable position; and giving advice, counsel, or instruction to individual employees on both work and administrative matters, setting priorities, planning work and meeting deadlines There is no Education Substitution and no Combining of Experience and Education at GS 12 level. 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; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You must: Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 08/14/2026. 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. Note: If submitting documentation of an evaluation, transcripts are still required. For a listing of some accrediting agencies see NACES | Credentials Evaluations Provided by NACES Members. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13016748 After CBP completes its hiring, the resumes of the remaining candidates referred for selection consideration may be shared with other DHS Components. During the application process, you may choose to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results to be shared. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics). The USA Hire Assessment will be used to assess the following general competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork D...

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Experience: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Receiving, investigating, examining and evaluating subpoenas, and other requests for Agency and personnel information from federal and state law enforcement agencies for possible disclosure in judicial proceedings Compiling, organizing and analyzing documentary evidence of regulatory violations to be utilized by attorneys in administrative and judicial collection proceedings Providing information and making recommendations in justifying CBP's legal position regarding legal challenges to Agency actions Obtaining, organizing, analyzing and recommending agency action with respect to matters relating to the Federal Tort Claims Act, Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act Organizing, summarizing, and analyzing depositions and documents obtained during discovery phase of agency litigation. Education Substitution: GS-11: You may substitute a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or L.L.M for the experience required at the GS-11 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise three years of graduate study. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours. You are required to submit proof of your claim. Combining Experience and Education at GS 11: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage, and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level, by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%. Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Participating in pre-trial and pre-hearing preparation; scheduling and coordination of witnesses, assembly of administrative records and files, preparing digests of transcripts of testimony from formal investigations, administrative proceedings and litigation in Federal and state courts Researching information using various legal resources; preparing litigation documents and discovery requests; responses to various motions Identifying, recommending and implementing record keeping systems, reviewing, analyzing and recommending responses to administrative cases; Defining the problem in terms compatible with the laws, policies, or regulations; interpreting considerable data, weighing facts in order to formulate a legally and factually supportable position; and giving advice, counsel, or instruction to individual employees on both work and administrative matters, setting priorities, planning work and meeting deadlines There is no Education Substitution and no Combining of Experience and Education at GS 12 level. 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; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You must: Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 08/14/2026. 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.