Paralegal Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of General Counsel (OGC), with one vacancy in Silver Spring, MD.

Duties

As a Paralegal Specialist, you will perform the following duties: Serve as a Paralegal Specialist in developing legal research strategies for the Office of General Counsel (OGC) on implementing acts, to include the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Merchant Marine Act, Endangered Species Act, Administrative Procedures Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act. Assist attorneys with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), requests. Act as administrator of the OGC Litigation Database, supervising the data that is entered, and responding to queries regarding litigation affecting NOAA from the White House, the Secretary of Commerce, members of the Legislative Branch, and internal NOAA search requests. Locate, interpret, and summarize statutes, regulations, treaties, legislative histories, and other legal documents at requests of attorneys or other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials. Perform legal and factual research and conduct analyses of precedents, statutes, and regulations to draft legal correspondence, memoranda, briefs and similar documents. Review and edit controlled correspondence and provide clearance for correspondence relating to general issues. Respond to general requests from NOAA legal offices nationwide, and prepare response memos or letters and records requests.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To qualify at the GS-13 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Researching and drafting legal documents; Analyzing litigation data and responses to external and internal queries; and Developing voluminous, detailed responses to records requests.

Education

Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire and/or evaluation through a manual assessment process, and your responses to any additional assessments (i.e. USAHire) required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail, Decision Making, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, and Self-Management Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12988464

Required Documents

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (may be: (1) uploaded directly from your desktop; or (2) uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments): 1. Resume: Your resume must be no more than 2 pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Please review the USAJobs Help Center for additional requirements. You are encouraged to make your resume and profile searchable https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/account/profile/searchable. You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume or curriculum vitae, for each work experience at a minimum, your resume should include; job title(s) (including job series and grade, if Federal); description of duties or work performed; starting and ending dates (month and year). Part-Time work must be clearly identified and include the number of hours per week; if not identified, then work will be assumed to be Full-Time. (NOTE: A full-time work schedule requires most employees to work 33-40 hours during the work week. A part-time schedule requires an employee to work less than full-time, typically 16-32 hours per week.) 2. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action: If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series and grade (do not submit an Award SF-50). Also provide the SF-50 that reflects the highest grade level held on a permanent basis or the full performance level of your current position, whichever is higher. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating. 3. Veteran's documentation: If you are requesting consideration under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) you must submit a copy of your Member 4, DD Form 214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service or other valid proof of eligibility (i.e., statement of service that shows service dates AND character of service) and/or any other required supporting documents (VA letter, SF-15, etc). For more information, please click here. Active Duty Service Members: You must submit a statement of discharge/certification of release or an official written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days from the date the announcement closes. Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do NOT qualify as official documentation. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm the discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not be considered for this job opportunity under Veteran Preference procedures. To gain access to your DD-214 online please visit. 4. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation (see "Additional Information" section) 5. Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment: Includes Individuals with Disabilities, 30% Veterans, certain Military Spouses, etc. 6. Documentation supporting NOAA Commissioned Corps: NOAA Form 56-16 or other documentation supporting active duty in NOAA Corps. OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS: Performance Appraisals Incentive Awards In accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3), due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards during the selection process. Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents: SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action": You must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position, AND the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND Performance Appraisal: Most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the blue "Apply Online" button. If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. Check the "Certification" box and click the "Apply for this position now!" button located at the bottom of the screen. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

What to Expect Next

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other equivalent positions throughout the Federal government. The position must be alike (e.g.: within the same geographic locations, equivalent grade/band and requires the same qualifications and specialized experience as indicated in this vacancy announcement). During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Salary ranges will vary based on the location. Please visit: OPM Salary Charts for specific salary information related to a specific location. You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are: Application Received Application assessed for qualification; Referred or Not Referred; and Selected or Not Selected. By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, proof of disability, etc.).

Additional Information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 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, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/2...

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ EDUCATION: There is no positive education requirement for this position. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To qualify at the GS-13 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Researching and drafting legal documents; Analyzing litigation data and responses to external and internal queries; and Developing voluminous, detailed responses to records requests.