Paralegal Specialist

You will serve as a Paralegal Specialist and be responsible for conducting legal research to assist in processing legal actions, to include review of documents, filings of briefs, motions, notices, and preparation of digests and indices of legal and administrative materials such as hearing binders and discovery packages.

Being a Coast Guard (CG) civilian makes you a valuable member of the CG team. Typical work assignments include:

• Serves as a legal researcher, researching legal arguments, citations, and documents using automated legal research systems and programs, including LexisNexis, Westlaw, Accuprint, and similar internet-based systems.
• Reviews legal documents and case files to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and agency policies.
• Manages and organizes case files, both electronic and paper, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of all documents.
• Assists in preparing for hearings and trials, including organizing evidence, preparing exhibits, and coordinating with witnesses.
• Prepares a variety of legal documents to include drafting, completing, and executing those documents and prepares legal correspondence and provides various legal documents/forms.

Conditions of employment

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

Key Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
• A one-year probationary period may be required.
• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation. This position requires a Public Trust clearance.
• Time-in-Grade requirement must be met by the closing date of the vacancy.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

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.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Examples of specialized experience include performing the following types of tasks on a regular basis.

• Conducting legal research using automated legal research platforms such as LexisNexis and Westlaw.
• Managing case files to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and proper documentation of records.
• Prepares legal documents and correspondence, including drafting, finalizing, and executing required materials.
• Assisting in preparing for hearings and trials (i.e., organizing evidence, developing exhibits, and coordinating witness participation).

NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or related applicable assessment) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

NOTE: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.