Paralegal Specialist | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Paralegal Specialist
Location: Washington, DC
Announcement Number: 23-OGC-11968505
Salary: $71,533 - $125,407
Closing Date: June 16, 2023

The Paralegal Specialist position is located in the Office of the Deputy Director, Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The OGC provides legal counsel and services to the Director and AO staff, the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees, judges, and other court officials. The Office is responsible for rendering legal opinions and advice on a wide range of issues in the field of Federal judicial administration.

This position will report to the Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The OGC is seeking a self-motivated professional Paralegal Specialist to join its team. The incumbent must have excellent analytical skills; the ability to write clearly and succinctly; the ability to plan, organize, and work effectively under demanding circumstances and time constraints; and communicate effectively with Judges and other Judiciary personnel on sensitive issues.

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Writing technical legal correspondence; reviewing and analyzing legal and nonlegal documents; and providing legal support to the attorneys.

• Assisting the litigation staff with the administration and representation of judicial officers and employees who are sued for actions taken in their official capacities, including the preparation of necessary correspondence to secure legal representation.

• Communicating with judicial officers, court employees, attorneys, litigants, and claimants, including the Department of Justice, to obtain critical information and reports relating to the resolution of lawsuits involving officers and employees of the Federal Judiciary.

• Conducting legal and informational research utilizing statutes, regulations and rules including the United States Code Annotated, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Guide to Judiciary Policy, as well as other legal reference resources.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

• Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.

• All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.

• New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

• All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.

• You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.

• If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience : Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience must demonstrate experience in ALL areas defined below:

• Conducting legal and informational research and analysis utilizing statutes, regulations and rules;
• Writing technical legal correspondence, and reviewing and analyzing legal and nonlegal documents; and
• Providing legal support, assistance, and advice to staff attorneys.

Education

This position does not require education to qualify.