Paralegal Specialist

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

Assists in the preparation for litigation, analyzes facts and legal questions, and performs similar functions. Evaluates and prepares proposed disposition letters for more complex claims submitted under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the Civilian Employee's Claims Act, and Section 3722 of Title 31, United States Code. Research and analyze legal issues involved, conduct a supplemental investigation if the initial investigation of the claim so warrants. Prepares difficult interrogatory responses, litigation reports, requirements for government attorneys, and compiles records in response to Requests for Production pursuant to Rule 3 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedures. Responsible for locating new sources of information which may involve contact or correspondence with other departments and agencies, interviews staff and investigation of facts and allegations. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff's correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position, and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements. Education GL-09: A Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B or J.D., if related. GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR Three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.M., if related. Graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Experience GL-09 and GS-11 You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-09: Experience researching exemptions and case law, summarizing factual situation and legal basis of complaint, and developing persuasive arguments supporting an agency's position in response to requests under FOIA/PA and other litigation. Experience conducting extensive legal research and analysis, preparing factual investigative reports and position papers, based on policy, statutory authority and case law in response to legal inquiries, litigation, interrogatories and other discovery procedures. Experience researching relevant regulations and precedents, gathering responsive material, coordinating with other staff resources/departments, and determining releasable documents or segregable portions of record pursuant to FOIA/PA in the preparation of pleadings and legal documents respective to FOIA/PA and/or other litigation. Experience reviewing and analyzing variety of legal instruments, identifying pertinent issues, selecting and compiling substantive information, applying statues and appropriate legal precedents, and preparation of responsive legal documents and pleadings (such as, interrogatories, complaints filed by opposing parties, declarations, litigation reports, and/or requests for representation). GS-11: Experience researching exemptions and case law, summarizing factual situation and legal basis of complaint, and developing persuasive arguments supporting an agency's position in response to requests under FOIA/PA and other litigation, and substantiating rationale in the event of appeal. Experience conducting extensive legal research and analysis, preparing factual investigative reports and position papers, based on policy, statutory authority and case law in response to variety of complex legal inquiries, litigation, interrogatories and other discovery procedures. Experience researching relevant regulations and precedents, conducting supplemental investigation/witness interviews for development of facts, gathering responsive material, coordinating with other staff resources/departments, and determining releasable documents or segregable portions of record in the preparation of pleadings and legal documents respective to FOIA/PA and other litigation. Experience reviewing and analyzing variety of legal instruments, identifying pertinent issues, applying statutes and other legal precedents, selecting and compiling substantive information, recommending action/response, and following required procedures in the preparation and submission of legal documents and pleadings (such as, interrogatories, complaints filed by opposing parties, declarations, litigation reports, requests for representation, others). OR Combination of Education and Experience GL-09 and GS-11: Have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. **Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment. NOTE: Candidates within the top quality category and who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). As noted above, an agency may not select a non-preference eligible in lieu of a preference eligible in the same category unless there are grounds for a passover and the agency has complied with the passover procedures at 5 U.S.C. § 3318(b). What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position? The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required: GL-07 and GL-09: Ability to communicate orally. Ability to communicate in writing. Ability to research, analyze and evaluate information. Knowledge of legal and general reference materials. GS-11: Ability to communicate orally. Ability to communicate in writing. Knowledge of correctional issues. Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate information. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts. Veterans' Preference Documentation: Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility. DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge). SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit: A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15. NOTE: A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran's Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here. If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information: (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; (2) and the character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and (3) any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals. Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, MOU, etc.). If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed. To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must include: Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND Number of hours worked per week. College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable). NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day. SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable. Proof of ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable. For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume? We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents. Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. USAJOBS Help Center - How to add a resume to your profile Claiming Veterans Preference? If yes, you MUST claim preference on-line during the application process and upload documentation to support preference claimed. Failure to claim Veterans Preference or provide supporting documentation may result in you not receiving appropriate consideration during the assessment process. Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded). All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation. Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement. Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure. If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants. Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line: DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons Consolidated Staffing Unit 346 Marine Forces Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75051 E-Mail: BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov Phone: 972-352-4200

What to Expect Next

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the application process has been completed. Applicants will be notified via e-mail, to the e-mail address registered in USAJOBS. The referral certificate or list of eligibles will then be issued to the selecting official for further consideration. The Human Resource Office may then contact you for an interview if they wish. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement. Applicants r...

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements. Education GL-09: A Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B or J.D., if related. GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR Three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.M., if related. Graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Experience GL-09 and GS-11 You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-09: Experience researching exemptions and case law, summarizing factual situation and legal basis of complaint, and developing persuasive arguments supporting an agency's position in response to requests under FOIA/PA and other litigation. Experience conducting extensive legal research and analysis, preparing factual investigative reports and position papers, based on policy, statutory authority and case law in response to legal inquiries, litigation, interrogatories and other discovery procedures. Experience researching relevant regulations and precedents, gathering responsive material, coordinating with other staff resources/departments, and determining releasable documents or segregable portions of record pursuant to FOIA/PA in the preparation of pleadings and legal documents respective to FOIA/PA and/or other litigation. Experience reviewing and analyzing variety of legal instruments, identifying pertinent issues, selecting and compiling substantive information, applying statues and appropriate legal precedents, and preparation of responsive legal documents and pleadings (such as, interrogatories, complaints filed by opposing parties, declarations, litigation reports, and/or requests for representation). GS-11: Experience researching exemptions and case law, summarizing factual situation and legal basis of complaint, and developing persuasive arguments supporting an agency's position in response to requests under FOIA/PA and other litigation, and substantiating rationale in the event of appeal. Experience conducting extensive legal research and analysis, preparing factual investigative reports and position papers, based on policy, statutory authority and case law in response to variety of complex legal inquiries, litigation, interrogatories and other discovery procedures. Experience researching relevant regulations and precedents, conducting supplemental investigation/witness interviews for development of facts, gathering responsive material, coordinating with other staff resources/departments, and determining releasable documents or segregable portions of record in the preparation of pleadings and legal documents respective to FOIA/PA and other litigation. Experience reviewing and analyzing variety of legal instruments, identifying pertinent issues, applying statutes and other legal precedents, selecting and compiling substantive information, recommending action/response, and following required procedures in the preparation and submission of legal documents and pleadings (such as, interrogatories, complaints filed by opposing parties, declarations, litigation reports, requests for representation, others). OR Combination of Education and Experience GL-09 and GS-11: Have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. **Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**