Paralegal Specialist

US Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Market Participants Division seeks a legal specialist to support examination and enforcement tasks. You will maintain case files, organize evidence, compile records, and prepare exhibits for attorney review.

You will conduct legal research, review and redact documents under FOIA/Privacy Act, and coordinate responses across internal and external stakeholders to ensure consistent legal products and reporting.

Qualifications

• Maintaining case files, organizing evidence, compiling records for attorney review.
• Reviewing and redacting documents under FOIA or Privacy Act requirements.
• Conducting legal research using Westlaw/Lexis/Bloomberg Law to identify precedents.
• Coordinating responses across internal/external stakeholders for consistency.
• Preparing exhibits and schedules for attorneys and analysts.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining case files, organizing evidence, compiling records, and preparing exhibits for attorney review.
• Reviewing, analyzing, and redacting documents under FOIA or Privacy Act requirements.
• Coordinating responses across multiple internal or external stakeholders to ensure consistency in legal products.

Skills

Maintaining case files

Organizing evidence

Reviewing and redacting documents

Legal research

Coordinating responses

FOIA/Privacy Act knowledge

Education

Graduate education in Law or related field

LL.M. or higher

Ph.D. or equivalent in Law/Legal Studies

Tools

Westlaw

Lexis

Bloomberg Law

Job description

The Market Participants Division (MPD or Division) leads the Commission’s efforts in protecting market participants and their funds by ensuring the financial integrity, fitness, and fair business conduct of derivatives market participants, such as swap dealers (SDs), major swap participants (MSPs), futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, commodity pool operators, commodity trading advisors, and floor brokers.

GS-11:One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector:

Specialized experience is defined as gaining experience:

• Maintaining case files, organizing evidence, compiling records, preparing exhibits, and ensuring materials are complete and ready for attorney review.
• Maintaining and organizing examination and legal files, preparing exhibits and schedules, and ensuring materials are complete and ready for review by attorneys, examiners and financial analysts.
• Conducting legal research using Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, or equivalent tools, identifying controlling statutes, regulations, case law, administrative decisions, or agency precedents.
• Reviewing, analyzing, and redacting documents under FOIA or Privacy Act requirements, applying exemptions and preparing justification statements.
• Coordinating responses across multiple internal or external stakeholders, ensuring consistency in legal products, case materials, and reporting.

Education Substitution:GS-11:3 academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education in a field directly related to the position.
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Law, Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies, or related degrees
OR
LL.M., in a field directly related to the position. Education must be in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.
OR
A combination experience as described in "A" and graduate level education as described in "B", when combined, are equivalent to 100% of the qualification requirement. Only graduate level education in excess of two full years (36 semester hours) may be used in this calculation. To compute, first determine the total number of graduate level hours that exceed 36 semester hours, and then divide that number by 18 to arrive at a percentage. Then, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12 to arrive at a second percentage. Add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100% to qualify.