Paralegal Specialist

1 month ago

Roanoke, Virginia, United States USAJobs Full time
Duties

If selected for this position, you will serve as a Paralegal Specialist in the Appellate Division for the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia. Typical work assignments will include:
  • Proofreading, editing, and cite-checking briefs.
  • Preparing appendices and exhibits for filing.
  • Maintaining appellate case files, managing the appellate docket, and ensuring all appellate deadlines are met.
  • Performing research, evaluation and analysis of case law.
  • Drafting initial motions, oppositions to defense motions and correspondence for AUSA review.
  • Drafting briefs for AUSA review when necessary. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

    Requirements

    Conditions of Employment
    • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
    • Background investigation, credit check, and drug test required
    • Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
    • You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
    • Telework Eligible: Yes, as determined by the agency policy.

      Qualifications

      To be qualified for the GS-09 position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in federal service.

      Specialized Experience for GS-09: I have at least one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in Federal service performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and ability to interpret legal decisions. My qualifying experience involved performing the following types of duties: examining and processing a variety of legal documents; conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests; drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence; using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information; documenting findings and preparing recommendations; searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel. OR

      Education: I have a J.D. or LL.B; a masters or equivalent graduate degree or higher; OR two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in law, criminal justice, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of a Paralegal Specialist. OR

      Combination of Education/Experience: I have a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education, 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 18 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate 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 full year may be used in this calculation.)

      To be qualified for the GS-11 position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in federal service.

      GS-11 Specialized Experience: I have at least one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in Federal service performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and ability to interpret legal decisions. My qualifying experience involved performing the following types of duties: independently performing a variety of analytical paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures. My qualifying experience involved 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; and preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations.

      Substitution of Education: I have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in law, criminal justice, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Paralegal Specialist.

      Combination of Education/Experience: I have a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education which when combined equal 100% of the requirements.

      Education

      All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see
      OR
      Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at . All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

      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.

      Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See .
      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.
      EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism.