Paralegal Specialist

Offices, Boards and Divisions; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 73,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Justice seeks a Paralegal Specialist in New York, NY, within the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, International Trade Field Office. The role spans GS-9 to GS-12 levels, supporting pretrial to post-trial activities and complex discovery.

Responsibilities include drafting documents, coordinating depositions, conducting factual and legal research, and ensuring citation accuracy with court rules. Telework eligibility is noted; a Secret clearance is required.

Qualifications

• Transcript from an accredited institution required.
• Foreign education must be evaluated by a recognized agency.
• Education must be in English or include an English translation.

Responsibilities

• Prepare pretrial, trial, and post-trial documents.
• Assist with depositions and trials using databases and presentation software.
• Code and index discovery materials and organize case files.
• Conduct factual and legal research and draft analyses for attorney review.
• Draft litigation documents for supervisory review.

Skills

Paralegal work

Legal research

Trial support

Document management

Tools

Electronic databases

Trial presentation software

Job description

• Hiring Agency: Offices, Boards and Divisions

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.

Key Responsibilities

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.

Requirements & 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.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with Offices, Boards and Divisions, Department of Justice.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $72737 – $137128/yr.

Is this position remote or telework eligible?

This position is eligible for telework.

What security clearance is required?

This position requires a Secret security clearance.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-30.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Competitive' hiring path.