Paralegal Specialist

US Bureau of Justice Grants; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 78,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Civil Rights seeks a Paralegal Specialist at GS-0950-12 to join OCR. Candidates must have a year of specialized experience at GS-11 level or higher and be proficient in legal research using major databases.

Applicants will be assessed on competencies including reading comprehension, decision making, reasoning, and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience at GS-11 level or equivalent.
• Experience using legal research tools such as LEXIS or WestLaw, PACER, and e-CFR.
• Experience reviewing, evaluating, and preparing documents on civil rights issues or complex legal matters.

Skills

Reading Comprehension

Decision Making

Reasoning

Attention to Detail

Customer Service

Flexibility

Integrity/Honesty

Interpersonal Skills

Learning

Self-Management

Stress Tolerance

Teamwork

Job description

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Civil Rights (OCR). OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis. To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist, at GS-0950-12, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.

Specialized Experience

Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level. Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Examples of specialized experience include:

• Performing extensive legal research using LEXIS or WestLaw, PACER and e-CFR into legislative history, precedent cases, decisions and opinions that are applicable to particular cases.
• Examining and evaluating incoming correspondence, complaints and other written reports to determine the legal issues involved and recommending disposition.
• Reviewing, processing and preparing documents covering civil rights issues or diverse and complex legal issues or problems.
• Preparing legal documents, memoranda, checklists and reports recommending disposition of correspondence.

Online Assessment

This position requires an online assessment. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 11/09/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Reading Comprehension
• Decision Making
• Reasoning
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the closing date of this announcement, 11/09/2026.

Your resume must support your responses to the online 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.