Paralegal Specialist - New Haven, United States - Department Of Justice

    Department Of Justice
    Department Of Justice New Haven, United States

    4 weeks ago

    Default job background
    Description
    Summary

    For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit

    As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

    Learn more about this agency

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    Overview


    • Accepting applications
    • Open & closing dates
    04/30/2024 to 05/14/2024


    • Salary
    $70,448 - $110,803 per year


    • Pay scale & grade
    GS 9


    • Help
    Location

    1 vacancy in the following location:

    • New Haven, CT
    • Remote job
    No


    • Telework eligible
    Yes-as determined by the agency policy.


    • Travel Required
    Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.


    • Relocation expenses reimbursed
    No


    • Appointment type
    Permanent -* Work schedule

    Full-time -* Service

    Competitive


    • Promotion potential
    11


    • Job family (Series)
    0950 Paralegal Specialist


    • Supervisory status
    No


    • Security clearance
    Not Required


    • Drug test
    Yes


    • Position sensitivity and risk
    Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk


    • Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness


    • Announcement number
    24-CT MS


    • Control number
    Help

    This job is open to


    • Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
    Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.


    • Family of overseas employees
    Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.


    • Federal employees - Competitive service
    Current or former competitive service federal employees.


    • Individuals with disabilities
    • Land & base management
    Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.


    • Military spouses
    • Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
    • Special authorities
    Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.


    • Veterans
    Clarification from the agency


    Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) in the local area and current/former Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates).

    VEOA eligible and those eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authority, e.g., Individuals with Disabilities, Military Spouses, former Overseas employees, VISTA/Peace Corps, some Land Management employees, and certain veterans, e.g., VRA, 30% Disabled.

    See link in "How to Apply."

    Help

    Duties


    If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut (USAO-CT).

    You will provide case management, legal research and trial support for a team of Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs).


    Typical work assignments will include:

    • Performing legal research to compose legal documents and correspondence.
    • Preparing legal briefs and summaries of analyses.
    • Compiling substantive information on legal subjects and collecting, analyzing, and evaluating evidence connected to hearings, appeals, litigation or advisory services.
    • Preparing immunity requests, writs of habeas corpus, grand jury and trial subpoenas and attachment to subpoenas and other documents.
    • Receiving and analyzing incoming pleadings and correspondence and determines appropriate action and notes time limitations for responses.
    • Assisting AUSAs handling violent crime and drug prosecution in pre-trial preparations by preparing, scheduling, reviewing, and organizing discovery, notifying, interviewing, and managing witnesses and researching case law.
    Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

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    Requirements

    Conditions of Employment


    • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
    • Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
    • You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
    • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
    • 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.
    Qualifications


    To be qualified for the GS-09 Paralegal Specialist, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal Service; or a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B.

    or J.D, if related; or a combination of specialized experience and education.


    Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

    Specialized Experience is defined as applying knowledge of the litigation process, local court rules and court procedures to perform assignments, such as, reviewing incoming documents to determine the need to prepare various legal documents; performing legal research to draft legal documents and correspondence and to verify citations and statutory references; analyzing for legal relevance to summarize data, make conclusions, and recommend appropriate action; communicating effectively with attorneys and conducting interviews; and utilizing automation support hardware and software to automate various legal documents and perform data retrieval.

    OR

    Education:

    a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B.

    or J.D, if related (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law).

    OR

    Combining Education and Experience:
    a combination of specialized experience and education which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year.


    Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) - The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

    If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

    To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria.

    You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority.

    Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form.


    Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at:


    Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) - The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

    If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

    To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria.

    You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at


    Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA)- VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce.

    To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service.

    If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.


    Special Employment Consideration- Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments.

    For further information, click on the links provided below .

    You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.


    Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:
    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 Department of Justice is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants.

    See U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for complete details.

    Diversity Statement:

    As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment.

    To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

    Read more


    • Benefits
    Help

    A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.

    As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

    Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

    Review our benefits


    Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

    Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

    How You Will Be Evaluated

    You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.


    Your complete application package (resume/supporting documentation, online questionnaire, and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment) 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 online 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):

    Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork

    To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

    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.