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Paralegal Specialist

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Full Time

Washington, DC

August 5, 2026 Paralegal

Job Description

Summary

This announcement is open to current or former federal employees and specific hiring authorities. This position serves as a Paralegal Specialist, located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Research and Publication Section (R&P), Paralegal Unit in Washington, D.C. The major function of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is to supervise and conduct government litigation in the Supreme Court of the United States (Court).

Duties

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

Work closely with Attorneys to identify the type of assistance needed on cases.
Provide legal support to attorneys in the preparation of cases for litigation in the Supreme Court.
Summarize the relevance of an array of legal information.
Evaluate, analyze, and cite check Supreme Court briefs in the court.

Requirements

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" section for specific details.
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 Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.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.

Qualifications

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

For the GS-09: Specialized Experience: For the GS-9, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service which demonstrates providing support to attorney's in reviewing, analyzing or evaluating case issues or citations for accuracy in briefs filed in the Supreme Court.

GS-9 substitution of education for experience:
Education: Master's Degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D. in a field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position. (You must attach 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 attach a copy of your transcripts.)

For the GS-11: Specialized Experience: For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service which demonstrates reviewing, analyzing, and advising on legal case issues for the accuracy of legal citations or other references.

GS-11 substitution of education for experience:
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 attach 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 attach a copy of your transcripts.)

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 08/17/2026 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.

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.

Additional 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.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): This program applies to DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 80 or above based on the competencies listed above; and
Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility.

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 Rhonda.D.Douglas@usdoj.gov.

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.

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