- Position Title
- Paralegal Specialist
- Agency
- Offices, Boards and Divisions
- Announcement Number
- NSD-25-12659294-DE Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Monday, January 6, 2025 to Friday, January 17, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
2.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from the Department of Justice?
To be eligible under CTAP you must meet all of the following:
To verify your eligibility: You must submit appropriate supporting documentation, such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) form.
To be eligible under CTAP you must meet all of the following:
- You are located in the same local commuting area of this vacancy; AND,
- You are applying to a position that is at (or below) the grade level of the position from which you were (or will) be separated from; AND,
- You are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were (or will be) separated from; AND,
- Your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful, or the equivalent.
To verify your eligibility: You must submit appropriate supporting documentation, such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) form.
3.
Are you an employee that was involuntarily separated from another agency due to a reduction-in-force (RIF)?
The Inter-agency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) is an inter-agency program that helps "surplus" or "displaced" federal employees improve their chances of finding a new job at another agency (not their current or former agency), by giving these employees selection priority over other applicants from outside the agency.
You may be eligible for ICTAP if:
- You're a current federal employee who meets the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced employee—you've received official notice that your job is no longer needed or that you will lose your job by Reduction-in-Force (RIF).
- The agency you're applying to is accepting applications from outside of their workforce.
- The job you're applying to is in the local commuting area.
- You meet the qualifications and other requirements of the job you're applying for.
For example, if you work for the Department of Defense and receive a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice, you can apply for a competitive service job in the local commuting area at the Department of Justice.
To verify your eligibility: You must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
4.
Reasonable Accommodations for taking the online assessments are provided on a case-by-case basis only to qualified individuals with a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
Do you have a disability (physical or mental) that you believe will interfere with completing the online assessments and require a Reasonable Accommodation?
Preferences
1.
Select the lowest grade you are willing to accept for this position.
2.
Would you accept a term appointment?
3.
In the last five years (from the closing date of this announcement) have you served, or are you currently serving, as an Executive Branch Political, Schedule C, or Non-career Senior Executive Services appointee? You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at the SF-50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed.
- A political appointee is an appointment made by the President with or without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an assistant position to a top-level federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213.3102(z)).
- A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties (5 CFR 213.3301 and 5 CFR 213.3302).
- A noncareer SES appointee serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations (5 CFR 317 Subpart F).
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Paralegal Specialist position with the Department of Justice (DOJ). Your responses to this assessment questionnaire, in conjunction with the other portions of your completed application, will be evaluated in making screening decisions. We will evaluate your resume and responses to this Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are among the best qualified for this position. Your responses are subject to verification and must be supported by your resume and supporting documents. Deliberate attempts to falsify information will be grounds for disqualifying you or for dismissing you from employment following acceptance. Please review your responses for accuracy before you submit this application.
1.
Please select the response below that best reflects your specialized experience as it relates to the minimum qualifications for a GS-07 Paralegal Specialist.
2.
Please select the response below that best reflects your specialized experience as it relates to the minimum qualifications for a GS-09 Paralegal Specialist.
In this part, you will respond to questions about experiences you have had that are related to the requirements of the job for which you are applying. Carefully review the response descriptions listed below. For each question or statement, select the one response description that best describes your experience, education, or training. Failure to support your answers to this questionnaire in your resume may result in a lowered score or loss of consideration.
3.
Assemble background material such as legal documentation, witness testimony, and physical evidence to prepare litigation packets.
4.
Organize legal material, such as case law, litigation decisions and /or court documents to maintain the efficiency of the office.
5.
Gather and organize case file and trial documents, including the non-legal technical examination of documents (i.e. spelling, punctuation, formatting, etc.) to assist higher graded staff members in preparing for trials and/or hearings.
6.
Analyze and evaluate financial information to assess overall financial performance of an organization.
7.
Gather data based on research results from precedent cases, interviews, and other related case material to assist in composing written summaries, memorandums, and advisory opinions.
8.
Use legal research electronic systems, such as Westlaw and Lexis to ensure facts and evidence are appropriate and valid.
9.
Provide alternative recommendations to attorney based upon regulations.
10.
Determine which statutes, regulations, policies and procedures to review for applicable precedents and legislative history.
11.
Compile substantive information by use of statutes, regulations, digests, commentaries, legal instruments and/or other legal reference material.
12.
Perform legal research through the analysis of legal decisions, rulings and regulations to assist attorneys with resolutions of legal matters.
13.
Review documents to verify information and its completeness, correctness, and consistency.
14.
Use various automated information systems to enter, manipulate, and/or retrieve information.
15.
Prepare written correspondence using correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
16.
Draft and/or edit legal and non-legal memoranda, research reports, and correspondence to ensure compliance with established guidance.
17.
Prepare initial summary recommendations for attorneys.
18.
Prepare initial drafts of form pleadings and related documents such as complaints, discovery interrogatories and responses to discovery interrogatories, affidavits, and notices of administrative hearings.
This section is used to certify the accuracy of your application package. Please respond yes or no to the following statement.
19.
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all the information included in this questionnaire is true, correct, and provided in good faith. I understand that if I make an intentional false statement or commit deception or fraud in this application and its supporting materials, or in any document or interview associated with the examination process, I may be fined or imprisoned (18 U.S.C. 1001); my eligibilities may be cancelled, I may be denied an appointment, or I may be removed and debarred from Federal service (5 C.F.R. part 731). I understand that any information I give may be investigated. I understand that responding "No" to this item will result in my not being considered for this position.