Paralegal Specialist

Bureau of Justice Grants; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Bureau of Justice Grants within the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Civil Rights, seeks a Paralegal Specialist (GS-12). The role requires extensive legal research, analysis of civil rights issues, and preparation of legal documents and reports.

Applicants must have specialized experience and complete a USA Hire online assessment by the closing date. Qualified candidates will review documents, determine issues, and support attorneys in civil rights matters

Qualifications

• Requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-11.
• Experience using legal research databases to analyze legislative history and case law.

Responsibilities

• Perform extensive legal research using LEXIS or WestLaw, PACER and e-CFR into legislative history, precedent cases, decisions and opinions.
• Examine incoming correspondence, complaints and other reports to determine legal issues and recommended dispositions.
• Review, process and prepare documents covering civil rights issues or complex legal problems.
• Prepare legal documents, memoranda, checklists and reports recommending disposition of correspondence.

Skills

Legal research

Reading comprehension

Decision making

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Tools

LEXIS

Westlaw

PACER

e-CFR

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.