The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 's mission is to investigate, prosecute and deter violations of federal statutes, enforce and represent the interests of the United States in civil litigation, uphold civil, constitutional and victims' rights, and foster partnerships with other federal, state and local government agencies and community groups. This position is also being announced to all US Citizens and Nationals under 26-PAE-12931874-DE.
Duties
This Supervisory Paralegal Specialist provides technical guidance and advice to division personnel, develops policies and procedures for legal support staff to meet litigation mission requirements and performs the most complex paralegal research and writing assignments on high-profile criminal cases, exercising discretion and independent judgment in applying laws, regulations, and precedents. If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Supervisory Paralegal Specialist support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing in the areas of leadership, advisory, and writing services. Typical work assignments will include: Directing the review, organization, and analysis of complex factual materials and evidence for investigations and trials; supervising legal research to determine issues and case merit. Providing guidance on preparing legal documents; reviewing and approving filings such as extradition requests, subpoenas, interrogatories, and related evidentiary materials. Overseeing evidence coordination for court, managing discovery, and ensuring timely responses to pre-trial motions and stipulations. Supervising staff by planning and assigning work, setting deadlines, approving leave, conducting corrective interviews, and evaluating performance. Leading recruitment by interviewing candidates, recommending selections, and ensuring staffing meets operational and case deadlines.
Salary
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying: To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must possess: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (5) of the (6) duties listed below: Utilizing legal terminology, docket and case reporting procedures, laws, court and administrative decisions, and interpreting rules, regulations, policies, and procedural requirements to support litigation and legal operations. Reviewing incoming legal documents to determine preparation needs and utilizing automation support hardware and software to perform legal and office support functions. Gathering and analyzing data to evaluate its usefulness in resolving legal issues; preparing summaries, court presentations, legal documents, and briefs including drafting materials for review and approval. Conducting criminal litigation legal research for case development, including locating, logging, indexing, filing, retrieving materials, developing discovery and exhibit lists, and organizing trial exhibits containing visual material. Reporting status codes for caseloads, verifying citations and statutory references, and conducting research and analysis for legal relevance; coordinating efforts, summarizing data, drawing conclusions, and recommending appropriate actions to deliver services and work products to customers. Supervising subordinate staff by approving or denying leave and overtime requests, assigning and scheduling work with clear deadlines, interviewing and recommending candidates, and preparing work plans, performance standards, and evaluations IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR 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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases).
Required Documents
Note: Failure to submit a resume or supporting documentation may result in elimination for further consideration. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Your Resume: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (MM/DD/YY) of employment and work schedule for each (part-time XX hours per week or full-time). Limit your resume to 2 pages. Only resumes 2 pages in length will be accepted to determine eligibility and qualifications. For more information, view the following link:USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirement A complete Assessment Questionnaire Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): If you are a current Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate that you meet time-in-grade requirements. If you are a former Federal employee, you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. If you are a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service, separated from the Federal Government over a year ago, and your last performance rating on record as a Federal employee was at least Fully Successful (or equivalent), you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status AND your last Federal performance appraisal plan. Other supporting documents: Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable: In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates:1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" dated October 2013 and all the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim. Veteran applying under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): You must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing an honorable discharge to be considered. To be eligible, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed 3 or more years of active service. NOTE: Current employees applying under VEOA must submit a qualifying SF-50 to show they meet time-in-grade requirements. 30% or more Disabled Veteran. You must submit your DD214, a completed SF-15, and letter from the VA dated 1991 or later to be considered. Documentation supporting eligibility for non-competitive appointment (severely disabled, eligible veterans, certain military spouses, etc.) CTAP/ICTAP Documentation A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and 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: 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 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources. 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.
