Paralegal Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Solicitor, San Francisco Regional Office. This position maybe filled in Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, or Seattle, WA. The work of the organization requires continuous contact with United States District Judges, Administrative Law Judges, Clerks of Courts, United States Attorneys, the public, and the media. The work generates considerable interest from members of Congress, bar associations, and officers of state and local governments.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to the following: GS-07 Draft routine pleadings, correspondence, memorandas, and other legal documents using established formats. Review legal documents for completeness (proper format, grammatical accuracy, and compliance with established legal procedures) before submission to attorneys. Conduct basic legal research using statutes, regulations, agency policies, court decisions, legal databases, and reference materials to locate applicable authorities. Prepare factual chronologies, document summaries, and case information for attorney review. GS-09 Verify citations and legal authorities to support attorneys. Draft routine pleadings, correspondence, memoranda, and other legal documents using established formats. Participates in interviewing potential witnesses, union representatives, claimants, grievants, and employees to gather information and arranging for subpoenas and indexing/abstracting depositions. Assists in E-Filing, and responding to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and requests for agency testimony and record in third-­party actions (Third Party Subpoena cases). GS-11 Summarizes findings or documents for use by attorneys in preparing legal documents. Identifies the need for uniform procedures and standards to facilitate legal activities and related administrative processes and avoid duplication of effort and undue delay in accomplishing objectives. Interview potential witnesses, union representatives, claimants, grievants, and employees to gather information and arranging for subpoenas and indexing/abstracting depositions. Review discovery materials, identifying appropriate objections, gathering documents, and making redactions to those documents consistent with the governmental privileges permitted in federal litigation.

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Position titles alone cannot be used to determine if you are qualified. Please list dates in MM/DD/YY format. This is imperative in determining if whether you have at least one year of creditable specialized experience. Dates will not be assumed. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. You must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education Substitution to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below. For GS-07: Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-05 in the Federal Service. Applicants must demonstrate at least two (2) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Utilize basic legal principles, terminology, legal research techniques to perform basic litigation support assignments using established methods and procedures. (2) Knowledge of the litigation activities of the agency sufficient to gather and analyze data and to evaluate its usefulness in researching legal issues. (3) Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing to obtain factual information, prepare written summaries, and support attorneys throughout the litigation process. OR- 1 full year of graduate level education OR- A Bachelor's degree in a related field that provides me with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position with Superior Academic Achievement based on one of the following: Graduating in the upper 3rd of my class; or having a cumulative undergraduate GPA of or at least 3.0 out of 4.0, or a GPA of at least 3.5 out of a 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in my major field; or being elected to a national scholastic honor society. OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For GS-09 : Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07 in the Federal Service OR meet the substitution of education OR combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described below. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Utilize principles, concepts, and methods of legal research and analysis sufficient to perform recurring case development and documentation assignments which are typically covered by established precedents. (2) Knowledge of the litigation activities of the agency sufficient to gather and analyze data and to evaluate its usefulness in researching complex legal issues. (3) Advanced knowledge of office automation software, legal case management systems, and document preparation techniques sufficient to prepare legal correspondence, presentations, spreadsheet software, reports, pleadings, and maintain electronic case files. (4) Communicate effectively orally and in writing to convey research findings to attorneys and other parties, and obtain information. OR - Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of graduate level education, or LLB. or J.D.; if related. OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For GS-11 : Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal Service OR meet the substitution of education OR combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described below. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Recommend and make tentative arguments and provide justification and information and documents required to support the arguments made by attorneys assigned to the case. (2) Developing and refining evidence, and knowledge of how to incorporate additional evidence into case files and presentations. (3) Advanced knowledge of office automation software, legal case management systems, and document preparation techniques sufficient to prepare legal correspondence, presentations, spreadsheet software, reports, pleadings, and maintain electronic case files. (4) Communicate independently and effectively orally and in writing to convey research findings to attorneys and other parties, and obtain information. (5) Work with legal reference sources in agency manuals, administrative decisions, and court decisions to perform applicable legal research. OR - Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related. OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for more information. This position is outside the bargaining unit. You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13027380 If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses. Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity. Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position. Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies. USA Hire You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are Category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Resumes: Required and applicants must provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions and confirm that your resume supports your question responses. Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point (TP) preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Your DD 214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point (CP/CPS, XP) preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214 and the proof of entitlement of this preference, which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. In addition, a Standard Form (SF-15) should be included, but is not required. (For active-duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Tentative Preference for Active Duty). For more information, go to Feds Hire Vets - Veterans Preference. Displaced Employee Placement Documents: Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, PhD, etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB. NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date. Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted. Do not upload password-protected documents. Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. For more detailed information on applying for positions with DOL click here to view the U.S. Department of Labor, How to Apply website. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How to Apply

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Important - Save your information before the 30-minute system timeout! For help, go to the USAJOBS Help Center. STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents. For each employment period, include start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week) otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete. NOTE: In alignment wit...

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Position titles alone cannot be used to determine if you are qualified. Please list dates in MM/DD/YY format. This is imperative in determining if whether you have at least one year of creditable specialized experience. Dates will not be assumed. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. You must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education Substitution to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below. For GS-07: Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-05 in the Federal Service. Applicants must demonstrate at least two (2) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Utilize basic legal principles, terminology, legal research techniques to perform basic litigation support assignments using established methods and procedures. (2) Knowledge of the litigation activities of the agency sufficient to gather and analyze data and to evaluate its usefulness in researching legal issues. (3) Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing to obtain factual information, prepare written summaries, and support attorneys throughout the litigation process. OR- 1 full year of graduate level education OR- A Bachelor's degree in a related field that provides me with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position with Superior Academic Achievement based on one of the following: Graduating in the upper 3rd of my class; or having a cumulative undergraduate GPA of or at least 3.0 out of 4.0, or a GPA of at least 3.5 out of a 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in my major field; or being elected to a national scholastic honor society. OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For GS-09 : Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07 in the Federal Service OR meet the substitution of education OR combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described below. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Utilize principles, concepts, and methods of legal research and analysis sufficient to perform recurring case development and documentation assignments which are typically covered by established precedents. (2) Knowledge of the litigation activities of the agency sufficient to gather and analyze data and to evaluate its usefulness in researching complex legal issues. (3) Advanced knowledge of office automation software, legal case management systems, and document preparation techniques sufficient to prepare legal correspondence, presentations, spreadsheet software, reports, pleadings, and maintain electronic case files. (4) Communicate effectively orally and in writing to convey research findings to attorneys and other parties, and obtain information. OR - Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of graduate level education, or LLB. or J.D.; if related. OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. For GS-11 : Applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal Service OR meet the substitution of education OR combination of specialized experience and graduate level education as described below. Applicants must demonstrate at least three (3) of the specialized experience statements listed here: (1) Recommend and make tentative arguments and provide justification and information and documents required to support the arguments made by attorneys assigned to the case. (2) Developing and refining evidence, and knowledge of how to incorporate additional evidence into case files and presentations. (3) Advanced knowledge of office automation software, legal case management systems, and document preparation techniques sufficient to prepare legal correspondence, presentations, spreadsheet software, reports, pleadings, and maintain electronic case files. (4) Communicate independently and effectively orally and in writing to convey research findings to attorneys and other parties, and obtain information. (5) Work with legal reference sources in agency manuals, administrative decisions, and court decisions to perform applicable legal research. OR - Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related. OR - A combination of specialized experience and graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position.