Supervisory Paralegal Specialist

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/ As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Duties

If selected for this position, you will serve as the Supervisory Paralegal Specialist for Criminal Division in the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Typical work assignments will include: Oversees the work of paralegals and/or Legal Administrative Specialists, including providing training, mentoring, evaluations, time and attendance coverage. Plans work to be accomplished, sets goals and priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work. ·Oversees performance management, developing training plans, providing technical advice and assistance resolve problems among staff. Assists attorneys in pretrial and trial preparation by preparing, reviewing and organizing discovery, and organizing exhibits to be introduced at trial; and Provides technical support to attorneys and government agents for gathering evidence in support of ongoing criminal litigation. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

GS-12: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical or legal work that demonstrates a practical knowledge of the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Specialized experience is defined as performing the following types of duties: performing factual research to supply information for inclusion in memoranda, briefs and similar legal documents; providing technical legal support to attorneys in preparation for trial; conducting legal research; preparing for and conducting interviews with investigative sources and prospective witnesses; drafting memorandum reflecting facts, sources, citations discovered during the course of legal research or witness interview; and performing preliminary screening of substantive materials prior to review by attorneys.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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 you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. You will be rated on the following Competencies (see The OPM Website for definitions): The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: -Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process). - Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job: Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade), Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments. 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. -Required if you are a current or former Federal employee: a recent copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing title, series, grade, and full performance level (FPL); AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Please note your SF-50 must include your FPL in the remark section (e.g., appointment, reassignment, promotion actions), pay adjustments and awards do not include this information so they are not acceptable. -Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility) for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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 by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/11/2026 to receive consideration. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.) 3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13048221 You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contactKarla Castillo at (213) 894-7611 or Karla.Castillo@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process. You must specify in your questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

What to Expect Next

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check, and drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

Additional Information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. Political Appointees (Current or Former): 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 or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

GS-12: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical or legal work that demonstrates a practical knowledge of the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Specialized experience is defined as performing the following types of duties: performing factual research to supply information for inclusion in memoranda, briefs and similar legal documents; providing technical legal support to attorneys in preparation for trial; conducting legal research; preparing for and conducting interviews with investigative sources and prospective witnesses; drafting memorandum reflecting facts, sources, citations discovered during the course of legal research or witness interview; and performing preliminary screening of substantive materials prior to review by attorneys.