Paralegal Specialist
Bureau of Justice Grants · Department of Justice
This job in plain English
This full-time Paralegal Specialist job is in the Office for Civil Rights, part of the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice, in Washington, DC. You would help attorneys review complaints, research civil rights laws, and prepare case files. The job may require up to 25% travel and is telework eligible as set by agency policy.
Can you apply?
Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.
- Special hiring authoritiesGroups with a special hiring authority listed in the announcement.
- Land and base managementCurrent or former temporary workers of land management agencies, and people affected by military base closures.
- Agency employees onlyOnly current employees of the hiring agency.
- Displaced federal employeesFederal employees who lost or are losing their job through a reduction in force (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).
- VeteransPeople who served on active duty and left under honorable conditions, through the veterans' hiring authorities (VEOA, VRA, 30% disabled veterans).
- Federal employees (competitive service)Current or former federal employees with competitive status (career or career-conditional).
- Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.
- People with disabilitiesPeople with a documented disability, hired through the Schedule A authority.
- Military spousesSpouses of active-duty service members, and some spouses of service members who were disabled or died on duty.
- Peace Corps and AmeriCorps VISTAFormer Peace Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps VISTA members within their eligibility period.
Other groups listed above may get extra consideration, for example veterans' preference.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The announcement is open to the public and also lists other hiring paths, such as current federal employees, veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities under Schedule A.
What you would do
- Review and prepare case documents on complex legal issues.
- Take detailed notes during interviews with complainants and witnesses.
- Evaluate complaints and letters to find the legal issues involved.
- Conduct legal research on federal, state, and local civil rights laws.
- Research which entities receive DOJ funding using databases.
- Organize claims data into reports for office staff.
Do you qualify for GS-12?
With experience: You need 1 year of specialized experience at least equal to the GS-11 level. This means work related to paralegal duties, such as legal research, reviewing complaints, or preparing legal documents and memos.
With education: Education cannot replace experience at this grade.
How to apply well
What to send:
- Resume (maximum 2 pages) with official job title for each job
- Employer name and contact information for each job
- Start and end dates for each job, in month and year
- Hours per week for each job, full-time or part-time
- Duties performed and accomplishments for each job
- DD-214 if you claim veterans' preference
- SF-15 if you claim 5 or 10-point veterans' preference
- Current or former federal employees must include the most recent SF-50 and performance evaluation
How you will be rated: Your online questionnaire, resume, and USA Hire assessment are used to rate you. The assessment measures 12 general skills, such as reading comprehension, reasoning, and attention to detail. Top candidates may be interviewed and rated on legal support, written and oral communication, and planning and organizing work.
Tips for this job:
- Your resume must support your questionnaire answers, or you may be rated ineligible, so list hours per week and exact month and year dates for each job.
- Check your spam or junk folder for the USA Hire email, and finish the assessment within 48 hours of the closing date.
- Write 200 words or less per essay question if you answer them, since they are optional and not scored but you must certify your own words.
Good to know before you apply
Schedule: Full-time. The agency offers opportunities for flexible work schedules.
Conditions of employment:
- Must be a U.S. citizen
- Pre-employment background check including drug screening
- Selective Service registration for men born on or after December 31, 1959
- Possible financial disclosure if selected
- USA Hire online assessment must be completed within 48 hours of closing
- 1-year probationary period
- Must meet all requirements by the closing date and keep meeting them
We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.
Job details
- Salary
- $102,415 – $133,142 per year
- Pay scale and grade
- GS-12 · General Schedule
- Location
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Appointment
- Permanent
- Work schedule
- Full-time
- Service
- Competitive
- Openings
- 01
- Security clearance
- Not Required
- Travel
- 25% or less
- Drug test
- Not required
- Supervisory
- No
- Occupation
- Paralegal Specialist (0950)
- Announcement
- JP-27-002
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