Clarification from the agency

This position is open to Current Federal Office Of Administrative Law Judges Employees only and CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

• Provides research, legal support, and case development services to assigned OALJ's. Researches and determines the specific legal actions which are necessary to prepare cases for hearing, such as developing and issuing various types of orders to obtain the required information.
• Analyzes and prepares responses and actions resulting from orders and motions, ensuring that claimants, representatives, and attorneys meet legal requirements. Prepares necessary legal documents for hearings, anticipates issues that may arise, and researches information, laws, and precedent cases for the ALJ's. The incumbent provides information to attorneys and judges on the status of cases, actions required to bring cases to hearing, and an eventual decision being issued by the ALJ.
• Examines, analyzes, and evaluates the information, documentation, and factual and legal issues presented in case files to determine whether additional pre-hearing actions such as motions resolution, orders, extension, and continuances must be taken before cases are ready for hearing. Triages cases to determine the specific legal actions necessary to prepare cases for hearing and take appropriate actions such as developing and issuing various types of orders indicating the precise nature of information required.
• Analyzes post-hearing briefs to help process the case and prepares for the Judge's final decision. Performs legal research to ensure that the case law cited is the applicable precedent; reviews transcripts for factual determinations.
• Assists in planning and managing the OALJ law library; reviewing and responding to requests for subpoenas and preparing required documents; preparing requests and dispositions for Settlement Judges on cases referred under the Settlement Judge or Alternate Dispute Resolution process; follows the established appeals process and maintains records and statistics for the several legal processes within the agency.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Qualifications

You must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education Substitution to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Position titles alone cannot be used to determine if you are qualified. Please list dates in MM/DD/YY format. This is imperative in determining if whether you have at least one year of creditable specialized experience. Dates will not be assumed.

GS-09:

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include:

• Overseeing caseload management by tracking essential documents, responses, and timelines; coordinating schedules for various legal proceedings, and/or providing support to ensure effective case processing;
• Evaluating case-related materials to identify necessary support for court activities and assisting with the smooth operation of proceedings (i.e. docket reports, managing exhibits, assisting witnesses and jurors, etc.);
• Assessing submissions for compliance and ensuring adherence to established guidelines, while also addressing inquiries from stakeholders regarding procedural matters;
• Identifying deficiencies on improperly filed documents (i.e. cases, exhibits, and judicial proceedings) in electric filing systems (EFS).

Or

Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge's, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position

Or

Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate education that provided the knowledge's, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position

Or

Successful completion of a LL.B or J.D that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12910449

USA Hire

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

When Office of the Secretary of Labor completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional sub-agencies in the Department. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional sub-agencies at DOL. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of time-in-grade (52 weeks at the next lower grade), time-after-competitive-appointment (90 days), and minimum qualifications (52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade in federal service). These requirements must be met within 30 days of 03/24/2026 the announcement closing date.

The following documents are required from all applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):

• AGENCY EMPLOYEES: Please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying. Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, Grade/Pay Band, and career status. Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility.

*WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status. For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.

• Resumes are required- provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
• Most recent performance appraisal/evaluation signed and dated within 18 months is requested by the agency, but will not disqualify candidates if not submitted. If not submitted during the application process, one may/will be requested at the time of the interview if the opportunity is extended. *In most cases, CTAP applicants must submit this document - see the CTAP link below for more details.

The following documents are required (if applicable):

• Displaced Employee Placement Documents: Only required if requesting priority consideration under Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Eligibility. Click/Review this CTAP link to confirm what must be submitted as proof that the requirement has been met.
• Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English) - If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.

NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.

Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.

Do not upload password-protected documents.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

NOTE: In alignment with the Presidential Memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, applicants may only submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. Only the résumé uploaded under the 'Resume" document type in USAJOBS will be reviewed. If the resume submitted exceeds two (2) pages, the application will be deemed ineligible for further consideration.

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