Paralegal Specialist

Summary

The Civil Division, with more than 900 attorneys and 14 litigating components, represents the United States, its Department and Agencies, Members of Congress, Cabinet Officers and other Federal employees in any civil or criminal matter within scope of responsibility. This position is located in the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, International Trade Field Office in New York, NY.

Duties

As a Paralegal Specialist, your typical work assignments may include the following: GS-9 Paralegal Specialist Prepares pretrial, trial, and post-trial documents as assigned. Assists with technical and logistical support during depositions and trials, including the use of electronic databases and trial presentation software. Codes and indexes discovery materials, conducts document searches, organizes case files, and coordinates document production. Drafts summaries of witness interviews, depositions, and meetings. Conducts factual and legal research, analyzes legal and factual information, and prepares written analyses for attorney review. Drafts litigation documents such as memoranda, subpoenas, discovery requests and responses, deposition summaries, affidavits, motions, correspondence, and briefs for supervisory review. Verifies case citations, quotations, and supporting authorities for accuracy and ensures documents comply with court rules and formatting requirements. GS-11 Paralegal Specialist Provides litigation support with increasing independence, assisting Trial Attorneys with pretrial witness preparation, investigations, document review, and research of legal precedent. Prepares pretrial, trial, and post-trial documents and may serve as trial coordinator, providing technical and logistical support during depositions and trials. Independently uses and operates electronic databases and trial presentation software. Prepares and organizes evidence for discovery and trial; codes and indexes discovery documents; conducts document searches and first-level review. Summarizes witness interviews, depositions, and meetings, and interprets technical data and supporting material. Participates in discovery activities, including drafting discovery requests, reviewing materials for responsiveness and privilege, and supporting attorneys throughout the discovery process. Conducts factual and legal research requiring substantial knowledge of legal principles. Verifies citations and prepares tables of contents and authorities for briefs. GS-12 Paralegal Specialist Provides litigation support with substantial independence, assisting Trial Attorneys with pretrial witness examination, investigations, document review, and legal precedent research. Prepares pretrial, trial, and post-trial documents and serves as trial coordinator, providing comprehensive technical and logistical support during depositions and trials. Independently uses and manages electronic litigation databases and trial presentation software. Prepares and organizes evidence for discovery and trial; codes and indexes discovery documents; conducts document searches and first-level review. Summarizes witness interviews, depositions, and meetings; interprets, develops, and synthesizes complex technical data and supporting material. Participates in all phases of discovery, including identifying discovery needs, drafting requests, reviewing materials for responsiveness and privilege, and coordinating with attorneys throughout the process. Conducts complex factual and legal research requiring extensive and specialized legal knowledge and prepares comprehensive written analyses for attorney use. Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist, at GS-0950-9/11/12you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below. To qualify for the GS-9, You must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-7 level: Organizing evidentiary materials and maintaining litigation files; utilizing research tools; and assisting attorney's with preparing legal documents. OR Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or successfully completed at least 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR received an LL.B or J.D. Education must be in a field that is directly related to the duties of this position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 36. Add the two percentages. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-11, You must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-9 level: Conducting legal research; verifying citations and legal references; drafting legal documents; drafts correspondence, pleadings, motions, briefs, and other legal documents; supports attorneys in developing and managing evidence pertaining to all aspects of litigation, including investigations, pre-trial discovery, and interviews with investigative sources and witnesses. OR Have a Ph.D or equivalent degree, or successfully completed at least 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field that is directly related to the duties of this position, OR, received an LL.M. Education must be in a field that is directly related to the duties of this position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 36. Add the two percentages. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-12, You must have one year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-11 level: Conducting extensive and specialized legal research, identifying conflicting information, and drafting analyses to support litigation strategy; coordinating trial activities, managing high-volume discovery operations, and preparing or reviewing complex litigation documents such as briefs, motions, and affidavits. If you are a current or former government employee on a permanent appointment in the competitive service, you will need to demonstrate 1-year (52-weeks) at the next lower grade level, to meet the time-in-grade requirements for this occupational series and grade. Additionally, please ensure to submit an applicable SF50 (please refer to the "required documents" section for additional information). You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 10/30/2026 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

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below. You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education. Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document. If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included. Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. How You Will Be Evaluated

How You Will be Evaluated 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. BASIS OF RATING: DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics): Legal, Government and Jurisprudence If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13087266. Other Information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be on or about October 19, 2026. Additional applicants will be referred after the announcement closes. 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): This program applies to DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: 1) your performance and conduct; 2) the needs and interests of the agency; 3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and 4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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: U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Issued December 31, 2025 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 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.