Paralegal Specialist

Justia; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, International Trade Field Office in New York, NY seeks a Paralegal Specialist at GS-9/11/12. The position supports attorneys in litigation across civil or criminal matters and requires strong organization of evidentiary materials and research utilities.

Qualifications include specialized experience at GS-7 level or advanced degrees (Master's or LL.B/J.D.) and potential for a 100% combination of education and experience.

Qualifications

• GS-9 requires 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 level.
• Education options include a Master’s degree or higher, or LL.B/J.D. in a related field.
• Combination of Education and Experience may be used to meet 100% requirements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research.
• Verify citations and legal references.
• Draft legal documents, correspondence, pleadings, motions, briefs, and other legal documents.
• Support attorneys in developing and managing evidence for all aspects of litigation, including investigations, pre-trial discovery, and witness interviews.

Skills

Legal research

Litigation support

Document preparation

Evidence organization

Education

Master's degree or higher in related field

LL.B or J.D. in related field

Job description

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.

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.