Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
- You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
- Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
- Salary payments must be by direct deposit to a financial institution.
- If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. See “How to Apply” section for more information.
- Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for the Paralegal Specialist position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
FOR THE GS-09 LEVEL:
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing 3 or more of the following duties:
- Drafting judicial papers or responses to motions, such as, subpoenas, change of venue, or motions to terminate;
- Evaluating judicial orders, decisions, bond proceedings, or legal documents for case law compliance;
- Entering data into case management systems according to proper data entry requirements; and
- Obtaining factual information or research through face-to-face meetings with legal support personnel.
(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)
-OR-
Education: Applicants must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR I have an LL.B. or J.D., in a directly related field.
NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the above described graduate education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-09 level. Only graduate education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) may be used when combining education and experience for this option.
NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.
FOR THE GS-11 LEVEL:
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (or comparable experience outside the Federal service), performing
3 or more of the following duties:
- Writing analyses and/or legal memoranda regarding the results of research;
- Performing legal research into laws, legislative history, precedent setting cases, decisions or opinions;
- Creating user defined reports relating to ongoing legal matters; and
- Advising or explaining factual information or research to general public through face-to-face meetings.
(Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)
-OR-
Education: Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR I have an LL.M. in a directly related field.
NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.
-OR-
Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants must possess a combination of the above described graduate education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-11 level. Only graduate education beyond the first 2 years (36 semester hours) may be used when combining education and experience for this option.
NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
For more information on the qualifications for this position,
click here.
Education
ARE YOU USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). You MUST provide a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking, or other documentation to support your educational claims. Applicants can verify accreditation by clicking here: Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. (Note: If you are selected for this position based on education, an official transcript will be required, prior to your first day.) You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Translated transcripts are required.
In addition, if a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated.
Additional information
Conditions of Employment: Only U.S. Citizens or Nationals are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ applicants, both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, whose job location is with the U.S., must meet the residency requirement. For a total of three (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: 1) resided in the U.S., 2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or 3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving oversees.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and (for scored examining) score 85 or better on established ranking criteria OR (for category rating criteria) rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria and must submit proof of eligibility for the special selection priority. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found by clicking here.
Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salaries listed above are an approximation and are subject to duty station locality adjustment.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Applicants applying under Delegated Examining (all U.S. citizens) procedures will be evaluated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documentation), responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of the required online assessments to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application questionnaire. If your responses are not supported by your application materials, your score may be lowered and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.
If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. Candidates placed in the "Best Qualified" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager for further review and consideration.
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
In order 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.
NOTE: In order to be rated as meeting the minimum qualifications, we must be able to determine from your application package that you have the education and/or specialized experience that is required. Your resume should contain your full name, some form of contact information (phone number, email address and/or living address), and the following employment information:
- Employer name and location for each position held.
- From and to dates (MM/YY-MM/YY or from MM/YY to "present") for each position held. The month and year is required to fully credit your time.
- For part-time positions, please include number of hours worked per week, positions that do not include this information will be assumed as full-time (40 hours a week).
- Grade/levels held for each federal position. (Ex. GS-11; IR-06; FV-G…etc.)
- Detailed descriptions of experience under each position held. (Applicants must provide specific supporting examples to show that they meet the qualifications of the position shown in the announcement.)
- Any submitted documents not required or requested for this vacancy will not be considered (i.e. training certificates, case filings, letter of recommendations, etc.).
(ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION PRIOR TO FINAL SELECTION.)
Required Documents
Your complete Application Package (containing the above required documents) must be received no later than 11:59 pm Eastern on the closing date.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Your Resume (2 pages) showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. (Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for more details on the resume)
- A complete Application Questionnaire. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13001817
- Complete the USA Hire Assessments, you will receive a notification with your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline if an assessment is required.
- Other Supporting Documents, if applicable to you.
- Transcripts, if qualifying based on education. (Must include your name, college name and address, courses, dates attended, major and degree, cumulative grade point average (GPA), any honors received, and date the degree was awarded / conferred.) (Please see the Education Section)
- CTAP/ICTAP documents (Please see the Additional Information section)
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
- If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
- If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from https://www.va.gov/records/download-va-letters/ or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
- Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
Note: Multiple selections may be made from this announcement. Salaries above are an approximation.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.