Paralegal Specialist

Summary

This position serves as a Paralegal Specialist (Bankruptcy), located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Trustee Program (USTP or the Program). USTP is a litigating component of the Department of Justice (DOJ) whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the nation's bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders - debtors, creditors, and the public.

Duties

The Paralegal Specialist provides administrative and legal support services requiring specialized knowledge in bankruptcy, including title 11, United States Code (U.S.C.), and specifically, Chapter 7 (Liquidation), Chapter 13 (Adjustment of Debts), and Chapter 11 (Reorganization). Serves as a paralegal in a region or field office of the United States Trustee Program (USTP), supports the United States Trustee (UST), Assistant United States Trustee (AUST), attorneys, and associated investigative, audit, and administrative staff by performing legal research, analysis, and case-related administrative services. In this position, the successful candidate will: Perform a variety of paralegal support assignments relating to bankruptcy cases filed under title 11, U.S.C. Assignments require significant specialized knowledge in bankruptcy law. Provide legal assistance and technical work requiring specialized knowledge of processes, procedures, and practices in connection with Chapters 7, 11, and 13 cases. Support assignments of this nature generally involve the form, content, and processing of legal documents and the procedures involved in storing and retrieving case information. Provide trial and deposition support to include the organizing and creation of exhibits. Perform detailed legal research, including legislative history. Conduct factual research related to public corporations and corporate grievances. Verify citations and legal references. Format, edit, and proofread documents. Review bankruptcy petitions, schedules, and statements to identify fraud or abuse. Draft pleadings in cases that follow established precedents and attend/participate in case review meetings. Monitor the progress of pending cases and initiate action to ensure that legal pleadings, forms, reports, correspondence, and other documents are prepared. Draft simple motions and complaints objecting to discharge. Perform administrative duties supporting attorneys and auditors by maintaining and organizing multiple case-management systems. Perform administrative duties as needed for the field office or Region. Periodic travel is required, depending on work assignments and training.

Qualifications

This vacancy is open to RECENT GRADUATES, who have completed an academic program of study or degree program from a college, university, or vocational school within the last two years from the date of this announcement. If you are appointed to a position under this program, you will need to complete 40 formal interactive training hours in one year, and any other developmental assignment(s), based on the agreement you will complete with the hiring office and the agency Pathways program coordinator. After 1 year of the program, completing training hours, and meeting all the other program requirements, you may be eligible for a conversion to a term or permanent appointment non-competitively. Conversion is not mandatory and will require approval from the hiring office and budget staff. Students MUST submit transcripts with a conferred or degree completion date (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). If selected, official transcripts will be required. In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying. To qualify for the GS-7 level, you must meet one of the following requirements for the position: A. EXPERIENCE GS-7: Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting the following: Applying a general knowledge of basic legal terms and concepts; providing routine administrative support to attorneys; researching case law to address simple legal questions; and/or reviewing and/or editing legal documents. OR B. EDUCATION (Graduate level) GS-7: Have one full year of graduate level education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 full years of full-time study. Note: For the purpose of qualifications, 1 full year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours. OR C. EDUCATION (Superior Academic Achievement) GS-7: Education may be substituted for specialized experience with a Bachelor's degree that included curriculum related to this position and Superior Academic Achievement. Superior Academic Achievement can be based on one of the following: Class standing - being in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university or major subdivision; Grade point average - a) having a 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on an official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum or b) having a 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; or national scholastic honor society membership (other than a freshman honor society). OR D. COMBINATION GS-7: A combination of education and specialized experience. A combination of education and specialized experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the 2 percentages. Note: For the purpose of qualifications, 1 full year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/14/2026. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be creditable toward your qualifications. Therefore, you should provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation.All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the job opportunity announcement closes (at 11:59 pm ET on 07/14/2026), a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted, the information will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. Applicants will be required to complete a USA Hire Assessment. The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Decision Making Flexibility Legal, Government and Jurisprudence Reading Comprehension Reasoning Research Stress Tolerance Writing Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Required Documents

The following documents are REQUIRED for this vacancy.You must submit these documents with your application to be considered. Resume Transcript College transcripts MUST show the Conferred or Degree Completion Date (Applicants will be rated ineligible if the completion date is not listed on the transcript). Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If selected, official transcripts will be required. IMPORTANT RESUME INFORMATION: Your resume must contain detailed information about your past employment, education, and qualifications. You should also include unpaid work experience (volunteer work) as well, we may be able to credit you for this experience. If you're unsure about what to include in your resume, please review the USAJOBS Resume Writing Tutorial on YouTube. At a minimum, your resume must list each of the following items for every employment referenced: 1) position title, 2) employer name and contact information, 3) start and end dates (including month and year), 4) hours worked per week, and 5) a detailed list of duties performed, and accomplishments. The following documents are ACCEPTED for this vacancy: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) License Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) Other Supporting Documentation Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Proof of Enrollment Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript These are documents that may be required for some applicants, based on what eligibility you are applying for or if you are using education to qualify. The list below provides additional information describing common documents that are accepted and provides a link to learn more about the specific details of that type of documentation. Veterans Preference: When claiming a veteran-related preference eligibility, you must submit specific documents based on the type of preference claimed. You may need to submit any of the following forms: SF-15 (Application of 10-point Veterans Preference), DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), and a VA Disability Letter. If you're a military spouse, you may need to submit these documents from your qualifying spouse, and you may also have to submit PCS orders (Permanent Change of Station) for the spouse. Please see VETERANS or MILITARY SPOUSES on USAJOBS for more information... Transcripts & Education: When using education to qualify, please submit an official or unofficial transcript from your institution that shows full credit hours and course information. Avoid submitting protected PDF files as these may contain security features that prevent DOJ from viewing the document. NEED HELP? If you need help submitting your documents, please review the Applicant Help Site, Documents page. If you need help understanding document requirements, contact Joel Schielie at joel.schielie@usdoj.gov during normal business hours. If you're having difficulty with your application or document submission, don't wait until the last minute, contact us right away so we can help you before the announcement closes.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/14/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessme...

This vacancy is open to RECENT GRADUATES, who have completed an academic program of study or degree program from a college, university, or vocational school within the last two years from the date of this announcement. If you are appointed to a position under this program, you will need to complete 40 formal interactive training hours in one year, and any other developmental assignment(s), based on the agreement you will complete with the hiring office and the agency Pathways program coordinator. After 1 year of the program, completing training hours, and meeting all the other program requirements, you may be eligible for a conversion to a term or permanent appointment non-competitively. Conversion is not mandatory and will require approval from the hiring office and budget staff. Students MUST submit transcripts with a conferred or degree completion date (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). If selected, official transcripts will be required. In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying. To qualify for the GS-7 level, you must meet one of the following requirements for the position: A. EXPERIENCE GS-7: Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting the following: Applying a general knowledge of basic legal terms and concepts; providing routine administrative support to attorneys; researching case law to address simple legal questions; and/or reviewing and/or editing legal documents. OR B. EDUCATION (Graduate level) GS-7: Have one full year of graduate level education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 full years of full-time study. Note: For the purpose of qualifications, 1 full year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours. OR C. EDUCATION (Superior Academic Achievement) GS-7: Education may be substituted for specialized experience with a Bachelor's degree that included curriculum related to this position and Superior Academic Achievement. Superior Academic Achievement can be based on one of the following: Class standing - being in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university or major subdivision; Grade point average - a) having a 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on an official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum or b) having a 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; or national scholastic honor society membership (other than a freshman honor society). OR D. COMBINATION GS-7: A combination of education and specialized experience. A combination of education and specialized experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the 2 percentages. Note: For the purpose of qualifications, 1 full year of graduate education is equivalent to 18 semester hours. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/14/2026. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.