Paralegal Specialist

The Paralegal Specialist position is located in the Probate Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court. The incumbent assists self-represented litigants seeking to navigate the Probate Division process.

Duties

Brief Duties of the Position:

• Provides procedural guidance and legal information to self-represented litigants on Probate Division cases, filing requirements, court procedures, deadlines and available court resources.
• Assists customers with identifying and completing appropriate Probate Division forms and provides guidance on filing petitions, motions, notices, affidavits, and other court documents.
• Evaluates court filings for procedural compliance, identifies missing or incomplete information and supporting documents, and communicates filing deficiencies and required corrections in accordance with court rules, procedures, and established guidelines.
• Researches statutes, court rules, case law, and other legal resources to provide legal and procedural information to attorneys, judicial officers, and division management.
• Prepares draft correspondence, reports, memos, procedural guidance, instructional materials, and other documents for review by attorneys and division leadership.
• Assists in developing, updating, and maintaining Probate Division forms, procedures, training materials, public resources, and website content to improve understanding of court processes and filing requirements.
• Compiles and analyzes statistical, operational, and workload information to identify trends, monitor program performance, and support recommendations for process improvements.
• Coordinates with judicial officers, attorneys, agencies, court personnel, and other stakeholders to obtain and exchange information needed to efficiently process probate matters.
• Safeguards confidential and non-public information and ensures compliance with laws, court rules, and procedures governing access to protected records.
• Trains and guides court staff on probate forms, filing requirements, business processes, and standard operating procedures.

Salary

• $68,405 - $88,926/year

Conditions of Employment

• A background and security investigation is required.
• A probationary period of one (1) year must be successfully completed.

Qualifications

Required Education & Experience:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in paralegal studies, legal studies, criminal justice, public administration, or a closely related field, or a certificate of completion from a paralegal studies program, plus one (1) year of experience performing paralegal or legal support in a court, law office, government agency, legal services organization, or legal environment.

Preferred experience: Two (2) years of experience performing paralegal or legal support in a court, law office, government agency, legal services organization, or legal environment, and experience supporting probate, trusts and estates, guardianship, conservatorship, fiduciary, or other court-related matters is preferred.

The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts' values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.

Education A minimum of a bachelor's degree is required. You must upload a copy of your college transcript or degree for consideration. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, degree conferred date, a list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at the time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Other Information This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service. Please note there is a mandatory one-year probationary period for all new court employees. All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date. Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted with your application:

1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or degree)
4. Three (3) professional references

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin the application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires and assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button before 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Benefits This is not a federal position. The District of Columbia Courts is an independent branch of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation. Please click on the following for more information about these benefits: http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp The DC Courts leave policy is as follows: Annual Leave: New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6) hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight (8) hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year. Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four (4) hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit. In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.