Paralegal Specialist

U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, DC seeks a qualified professional at GS-9/GS-11 level to perform administrative duties, maintain case records, and support complex legal processing.

You will draft and review legal decisions, coordinate with stakeholders, and help implement records management programs in line with federal guidelines. Education and experience options are described, with growth opportunities within the agency.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher; or 2 years graduate education for GS-9.
• Ph.D./LL.M. may substitute for experience at higher grades.
• Experience with drafting and reviewing legal documents is required.
• Ability to manage case records and coordinate with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and clerical support to maintain case records.
• Draft and review legal decisions and related documents.
• Coordinate case processing with affected parties and internal units.
• Support implementation of Records Management programs per guidelines.

Skills

Legal research

Case management

Administrative support

Drafting documents

Records management

Stakeholder coordination

Education

Master's degree or higher

LL.B. or J.D. for GS-9 level

Ph.D. or LL.M. substitution for GS-11

Tools

Office automation software

Job description

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings, located in Washington, DC.

Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above. Experience GS-09: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Researching information using LEXIS NEXIS, legal research sources, and other government databases publicly available to track progress on certain cases.
• Organizing and managing a high volume of case records, supporting documentation (e.g., contracts, invoices and other commercial data), correspondence, and legal reference materials.
• Implementing and administering the Records Management Program in accordance with Federal General Services Administration, laws, policies, procedures and guidelines.

GS-9 Education Substitution: Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in any field, or a L.L.B. or J.D. for the experience required at the GS-9 grade level. Such education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours. You are required to submit proof of your claim.

Experience GS-11: You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Providing administrative and clerical support to the organizational unit, using office automation hardware and software to keep the case records current, and also to track and process (download, upload, reformat and distribute) case records.
• Assisting in drafting and reviewing legal decisions and other documents, researching applicable case precedent, and coordinating case processing with affected parties and stakeholders in office databases, as well as developing, implementing, and evaluating complex programs, policies and procedures within the functional areas of the office.
• Supporting the office caseload and processing needs to determine that all information that may have an effect on current cases is made available to office personnel.
• Providing direct support to individuals who perform sensitive inherently governmental functions.

GS-11 Education Substitution: Successful completion of Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credits comprise three years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 54 semester or 81 quarter hours. You are required to submit proof of your claim.

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. More information on this qualification standard is located here.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

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.

You must:

• Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 08/28/2026.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers

Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:

• Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
• A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
• Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
• Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government

Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.