Paralegal Specialist - Washington, United States - US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Description

Duties:

The Litigation, Adjudication, and Enforcement Branch represents the Commission in the U.S.

District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, Courts of Appeals, and various administrative bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, and Federal Service Impasses Panel.

It also assists the Solicitor General in representing the Commission before the U.S. Supreme Court.

OGC litigation staff represents the Commission in appeals of enforcement actions, challenges to agency actions, derivatives-industry bankruptcies, employment lawsuits, other administrative litigation, and as amicus curiae in a range of matters.

The Branch reviews draft regulations, releases, and other proposed agency actions for litigation risk, including but not limited to compliance with the Administrative Procedures Act and Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) provisions such as the requirement that the Commission consider the costs and benefits of many of its actions.

The Branch advises the Commission on its adjudication function.

As a Paralegal Specialist, the incumbent is primarily responsible for assisting attorneys in the Litigation, Adjudication, and Enforcement Branch


Typical duties include:

• Assists attorneys in the preparation of court filings by verifying and checking legal citations (citechecking) and legal references in prepared legal documents and preparing tables of contents and authorities. Proofreads briefs, pleadings, memoranda, opinions and other documents; drafts legal instruments such as certificates of service, transmittal letters and cover memoranda.
• Contracts with outside vendors for copying and binding of legal briefs and appendices. Arranges timely delivery of legal documents to courts and tribunals.
• Reviews incoming bankruptcy notices to determine whether the Commission has an interest in the bankruptcy.
• Receives and distributes incoming mail; reviews incoming documents for necessary response, if any.
• Makes travel arrangements for staff members; ensures that authorizations and vouchers are completed in an accurate and timely manner.
• Utilizes data management and litigation support systems (i.e. Practice Manager, Relativity, Case Map, Pacer, and Lexis and Westlaw) to locate, organize and categorize exhibits, appendices, administrative records and other documents as needed for court filings.
• Utilizes OGC's Elaw case management system to review, store, index, and search electronic copies of documents obtained in the course of investigations and litigation. Maintains case files and corrects file deficiencies or discrepancies.
• Devises filing systems or docket tracking systems as needed to increase efficiency of the Branch.
• Independently reviews case files maintained in hard copy to determine which files are eligible to be retired to offside document storage area; prepares files; and supervises the preparation of files for retirement to offsite storage facilities.
• Performs legal research or retrieval of legislative history, precedent cases, decisions, and opinions, regulations, policies, procedures, case law, Internet sites, etc., to provide assistance to staff attorneys in the development of legal matters. References may include but are not limited to the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission Regulations. Based on information found during research, prepares legal summaries or compiles resources to be used in litigation, pending approval by the assigned attorney.
• Ensures that records are accurate, and readily available for staff to use during their investigations and litigation.
• As needed and available, assists other units of OGC by researching and analyzing legal issues; assuring accuracy and consistency in legal documents prepared by the office, cite checking and proofreading briefs, pleadings, memoranda, opinions and other documents; drafting legal instruments such as certificates of service, transmittal letters and cover memoranda.
• Prepare correspondence and memoranda requiring mínimal or no edits.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:


Conditions of Employment:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Background/Security Investigation
• May be required to serve a oneyear probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency (knowledge, skills and abilities) in the following areas: Legal Government, and Jurisprudence, Oral and Written Communication, Records Management

Qualifications:


CT-11 Level: To qualify for the CT-11 level you must you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized experience is defined that through which one has gained experience:

Specialized Experience:
One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the CT/GS-09 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes all of the following:

• Examining and processing a variety of documents, including legal d