Paralegal Specialist

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.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for a GS- 0950-12 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

Compliance and Enforcement Activity Support and Administration

• Review, process and prepare documents covering diverse and complex legal issues or problems, such as carrying out case development and documentation activities as a case progresses through the office's review process.
• Support attorney staff during telephonic and video interviews of complainants, recipient staff or other witnesses, including through detailed note-taking and formal documentation of interview responses.
• Organize claims processing data into reports for review by OCR staff.

Legal Evaluation and Recommendations

• Examine and evaluate incoming correspondence, complaints and other written reports to determine the legal issues involved.
• Review and analyze incoming correspondence and data from recipients of federal funding.

Legal and Other Research

• Perform legal research and analysis of assigned areas, such as research into federal, state and local laws, regulations and cases relating to civil rights.
• Work with attorneys and senior staff to develop information necessary for the office's investigative work.
• Conduct funding research using internal and external databases to determine whether particular entities are receiving DOJ financial assistance.

Salary

• $102,415 - $133,142/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 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 Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• Security Requirements: Non-Sensitive/Moderate Risk.
• 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.

Qualifications

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.

Education Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone. No substitution of education for experience is permitted. Other Information OJP offers opportunities for flexible work schedules. 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 Period: You may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether continued employment advances the public interest. We may consider: 1) performance and conduct; 2) agency needs and interests; 3) advancement of agency/Government organizational goals; and 4) Federal service efficiency. Upon completion, employment terminates unless you receive written certification 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 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 human.resources@usdoj.gov. 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. Your complete application package (resume/supporting documentation, online questionnaire, and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment) will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. Required Documents

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Resume (Maximum 2 pages):
Include for each job:

• Official position title
• Employer name and contact information
• Start and end dates (month and year)
• Full-time or part-time hours per week
• Duties performed and accomplishments

See How do I write a resume for more information

Current or Former Federal employee:

• Most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent agency form (not award SF-50s)
  • Must show: Full position title, series, grade and step, organization, duty location, effective date, service type, and tenure status
• Performance evaluation with final rating (or statement explaining why unavailable)
• List of awards from the last 5 years (e.g., superior performance, special act/achievement, quality step increases). Documentation will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration during selection. This applies to federal and non-federal work

See Current & Former Employees for more information

Veterans or Qualifying Family Members:
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): Preference eligible OR veterans with 3+ years active service

• DD-214 Member #4 Copy showing service dates, character of service, and discharge type; OR
• Certification letter from armed forces confirming expected honorable discharge/release within 120 days

30% or More Disabled Veteran:

• VA Letter with disability rating
• DD-214 Member #4 Copy
• SF-15 (10-point Veterans Preference form)

5 or 10-point Veterans Preference:

• DD-214 Member #4 Copy
• VA Letter (if applicable)
• SF-15

See FedsHireVets or USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans for more information

Military Spouse Appointing Authority:
If spouse is on active duty:

• Spouse's active-duty documentation
• Marriage certification

If spouse has 100% disability:

• Documentation showing 100% disability rating
• Marriage certification

If spouse was killed on active duty:

• Documentation of death while on active duty
• Marriage certificate
• Statement certifying unremarried status

See Military spouses for more information

Schedule A (Individuals with disabilities):

• Official letter on letterhead from a doctor or licensed medical professional; Licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, OR; Federal, state, or local disability benefits agency
• Letter must state you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability.

See OPM's Schedule A for more information

CTAP/ICTAP (Career Transition Programs):

• Separation notice, agency RIF letter, OR letter of intent to separate
• Most recent performance appraisal
• SF-50 showing current/former position details

See Career Transition Programs for more information

Land and Base Management:

• Most recent SF-50 equivalent agency form

See Base facilities or land management agency for more information

Peace Corps or AmeriCorps VISTA:

• Certification of service documents

See Peace Corps & AmeriCorps VISTA for more information

How to Apply

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 11/09/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

• Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
• Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on11/09/2026.
• 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.
• 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.

Essay Questions:
The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. In this role, you will be expected to professionally and efficiently implement executive direction. Provide an example where you implemented leadership direction on a strategy or policy decision that differed from your own recommendation.
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help website 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 agency contact directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.