Paralegal Specialist

This position serves as Paralegal to the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA). OLA has responsibility for the development and implementation of strategies to advance the Department's legislative initiatives and other interests relating to Congress.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for a Paralegal Specialist GS-0950-7/9/11 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

This position is responsible for work which is ancillary to the work of attorneys within the Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA), such as preparing for hearings before Congress, preparing for briefings, or assembling and arranging case files and documents. The incumbent will perform legal support services, such as the preparation, analysis and processing of legal documents, recommendation memorandum, statistical analysis, and legal research.

The duties listed above are generally written for one grade level. If the position is advertised at multiple grades, the duties will be adjusted in difficulty, complexity, and level of supervision, for higher or lower grades, as appropriate.

Salary

• $57,736 - $111,087/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period. See "Additional Information" for specific details.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
• This position requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Security clearance.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist, at GS-0950-7/9/11, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

For the GS-07
Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-05 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Managing files, case documents and exhibits for attorneys; 2) Utilizing a variety of computer software, hardware, electronic or photographic equipment; AND 3) Drafting notes or other written administrative work products.
OR

Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts)
OR

Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - You must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; (Note: You must provide a copy of your transcripts)
OR

(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - You must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on my official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts)
OR

(3) Honor Society Membership - You may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). (Note: You must provide documentation)
OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts) (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts).

For the GS-09
Specialized Experience: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: Searching and reviewing legal references, case files and other source of information required by attorneys.
OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts)
OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts).

For the GS-11
Specialized Experience: For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Managing legal case files and documents; 2) Summarizing and compiling information utilizing statutes, regulations, department orders, and other legal reference materials; AND 3) Presenting findings or conclusions using appropriate language, legal reasoning, and organization of facts or ideas.
OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts)
OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. (NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts)

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 06/11/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application 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.

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 06/11/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below. Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information Additional selections may be made from this announcement. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: 1) your performance and conduct; 2) the needs and interests of the agency; 3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and 4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act. Required Documents It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Resume Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history: Official position title, Employer name and contact information, Start and end dates (including month and year), Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and A list of duties performed and accomplishments. If you are a current or former Federal employee: You must submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form. Do not submit an award SF-50, these do not contain sufficient information about your appointment. Your SF-50 should list the full position title, series, grade and step, organization, duty location, service computation date, effective date, and your service type and tenure status. Submit a copy of your most recent performance evaluation or appraisal, signed, showing your final rating. If a performance appraisal is not available submit a statement explaining why one is not available. Note: See USAJOBS Current & Former Employees for more information. Due Weight for Performance: You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, and A list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. Due weight for performance applies to federal and non-federal work. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. If you are a Veteran or a qualifying parent or spouse: When claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must submit your last DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating, you will need to additionally submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) and a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating. If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter, and/or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. See Veteran Family Preference for more information. For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets. If you are applying for consideration under the Military Spouse Appointing Authority: Spouse of a member of the armed forces on active duty: documentation showing 1) your spouse's active-duty status and 2) your marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage certificate or other legal documentation verifying marriage). Spouse of service members who incurred a 100% disability because of the service member's active-duty service: documentation showing 1) the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharged from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent; and 2) documentation of marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). Spouse of service members killed while on active duty: documentation showing a) the member was released or discharged from active duty due to his or her death while on active duty; b) the member of the armed forces was killed while serving on active duty; c) proof of the widow or widower's marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage); and d) a statement certifying that the individual seeking to use the authority is the un-remarried widow or widower of the service member. If you are a person with a disability, claiming eligibility under Schedule A: You must submit "proof of a disability" documentation ("Proof of a disability" is a letter stating that you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability). You must get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any Federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits. For more information about Schedule A and verification requirements, please see OPM's Schedule A site. Continued under How To Apply How to Apply

Continued from Required Documents

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

1. You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency OR if you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
2. Submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location OR Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.

If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required:

1. You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
2. Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
3. Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
4. If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/11/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

• To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
• Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
• Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 06/11/2026.
• After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
• If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)
• Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement for assistance.