Paralegal Specialist

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens.

• Conduct case file legal reviews, inquiries, analysis, and research at direction of attorneys to identify legal issues and potential risks in forfeiture proceedings and to support legal strategy and decision making.
• Assist in gathering, collecting, reviewing, and analyzing factual information to satisfy legal and policy requirements for forfeiture.
• Draft clear and accurate legal documents, memoranda, and correspondence for attorney review while adhering to unit's priorities, deadlines, and established legal procedures.
• Handle administrative and organizational tasks to support forfeiture legal proceedings, including but not limited to data entry in applicable databases and systems; document preparation; formatting, mailing, and tracking legal correspondence; maintaining and organizing unit filing and document retention systems.
• Assist in litigation preparation and organization.
• Manage and track case assignments for unit.
• Provide training to other personnel as needed.
• Coordinate and communicate information in a timely professional manner between LFU and other entities, internal and external, as directed.

The ideal candidate should have paralegal experience in asset forfeiture or criminal law or otherwise will have paralegal experience in a position requiring strong organization and writing skills.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen.

• Must be able to obtain a Top Secret-SCI clearance.

Qualifications

GS-13: Applicant must possess at least one (1) year of SE equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. SE is defined as follows:

• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with various entities in situations that may require a great deal of tact, diplomacy and persuasiveness in order to handle highly charged, emotional situations.
• Mastery knowledge of court procedures, and legal precedents, principles, concepts, and terminology to provide authoritative guidance to others. Thorough knowledge of Federal ethical standards. Knowledge of document control and security measures to ensure the safety or unintended release of information.
• Legal skills and proficiency to analyze and evaluate the relevance of technical data and information; investigate subject-matter details involved in a case or legal matter and weigh evidence; or answer complicated questions which may arise.
• Mastery and highly-developed knowledge and skill sufficient to perform extensive legal research and analysis of legislative history, precedent case law, decisions and opinions; and administrative decisions and regulations that may be applicable to the particular matter at hand. Must have thorough understanding of computerized systems for access to case, statutory, and administrative law to conduct other required legal research.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be evaluated using the FBI's Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify that you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

If you are found minimally qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

Competencies will be used in a Structured Resume Review to objectively evaluate applicant resumes. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Your resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies.

Competencies:

• Governance and Legal Jurisprudence (FBI Asset Forfeiture)
• Analytic Thinking
• Communication
• Organizing and Planning
• Information Management

1. Utilizing the Resume Builder, outline your relevant work experience and associated start and end dates. Uploaded resumes will not be reviewed or used for qualification purposes.

2. Other supporting documents (if applicable):
   • A writing sample, not to exceed 5 pages (required).
   • Former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG). Actions such as promotion, within grade increase, or reassignment actions must be submitted as your most recent SF 50.
   • Most recent Performance Appraisal; not applicable to current FBI employeesVeterans: DD 214; Disabled Veterans: DD 214, SF-15, and VA letter dated 1991 or later.
   • Memorandum for Record (MFR): Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on an SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished no credit will be given for time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation:
     • Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties.
     • The month/year work beganFrequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)
     • Specific duties performed.

Next steps