Summary
This posting is for a Supervisory Paralegal Specialist in the Civil Division's Torts Branch, Environmental Litigation Section (ETL). Torts is the principal guardian of the public fisc at the Department and defends the United States and its employees against tort suits, which cumulatively seek billions, and sometimes trillions, of dollars in monetary damages each year.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Current permanent Department of Justice employees with competitive status and CTAP/RPL eligible candidates.
Duties
The duties for the Supervisory Paralegal Specialist include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Plans, assigns and prioritizes the work of paralegal and support staff.
- Ensures personnel decisions and actions align with merit system principles and EEO policies.
- Organizes and manages case documents, evidence, and exhibits.
- Coordinates logistics and technical requirements for hearings, depositions, and trials.
- Manages travel authorizations and vouchers in compliance with federal travel regulations and organizational policies.
- Provides updates, briefings, and recommendations to supervisors, attorneys, and program staff.
- Prepares clear and accurate legal and administrative documents, including summaries, reports, and correspondence.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- You must successfully pass a security/background investigation and a drug screening.
- You must be a current permanent Department of Justice employee with competitive status or a CTAP/RPL eligible candidate.
- You must meet all applicable time-in-grade requirements by the closing of this announcement.
- Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
- You may be required to complete a one year supervisory probationary period.
Qualifications
To qualify for the position of Supervisory Paralegal Specialist, at GS-0950-12, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.
To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, performing duties such as: conducting legal and factual research, supporting discovery and trial preparation, managing case documents and evidence, drafting legal documents, and performing administrative functions such as coordinating personnel actions, timekeeping, travel, procurement, or office operations. Experience must also demonstrate the ability to lead or coordinate the work of others.
You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by 10/29/2026 of this announcement.
Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.
Education
There is no education requirement for this position.
Additional information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
Selective Service: If you were born male, on or 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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.
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.
Once the announcement closes, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist. This information will be compared against your responses to the application questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. If a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, you may be deemed ineligible.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):
- Leadership
- Technical Competence
- Administration and Management
- Oral Communication
- Written Communication
Additionally, you must meet the area of consideration (see above). Applicants who do not meet this are ineligible for consideration.
Basis of Rating: DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates.
Due Weight for Performance: Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. Due weight for performance applies to federal and non-federal work.
If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13089261
Required Documents
It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.
Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
- Official position title,
- Employer name and contact information,
- Start and end dates (including month and year),
- Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
- A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
SF-50: You must submit your most recent
SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action). Do not submit an award SF-50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step, organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status.
- Most recent performance appraisal: Must submit a signed copy of your most recent performance evaluation or appraisal showing your final rating. If a performance appraisal is not available submit a statement explaining why one is not available.
- Awards: Submit a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available.
CTAP eligibility documentation:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation ; or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, or a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement).
- A copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, promotion potential, and duty location.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/29/2026
to receive consideration.
- Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
NEED HELP?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or
Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.
DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: 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. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here:
https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy Next steps
You will receive e-mail notifications as your application status is updated by DOJ. However, you can also see your application status any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account and looking on the "Applications" page. Click the position title to expand the display for each application in the list.
We strive to extend a final offer of employment within 90 days from the close of this announcement. Additional selections may be made from this announcement within 90 days.