Paralegal Specialist
This position is located in the Administrative Division of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and serves as a Paralegal Specialist in any of the subject matter areas of OGC to include Administrative Law, Enforcement, Litigation, and Policy. The Administrative Division of OGC is a dynamic, team-oriented environment of dedicated professionals focused on providing excellent legal and support services to OGC and the FEC. This is a Non-Bargaining position.
Major duties
The position is responsible for providing analytical planning and evaluative work related to administrative and operational aspects of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) programs. As the Paralegal Specialist in this position, you will: Conduct comprehensive legal research using the United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, case law, Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) decisions, Office of General Counsel (OGC) precedent, legislative histories, administrative decisions, and other applicable legal authorities. Research and interpret applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and judicial and administrative decisions to determine their applicability to assigned matters. Perform a broad range of substantive paralegal work involving the interpretation and application of Federal laws, regulations, and agency policies in determining the validity, sufficiency, and acceptability of court orders, pleadings, administrative filings, and other legal documents. Assist attorneys in preparing administrative and judicial litigation by organizing documentary evidence, exhibits, witness files, deposition materials, and litigation notebooks. Monitor the status of special legal projects assigned throughout the division.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements described below. To qualify based on experience, your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience that meets the specialized experience requirements listed below. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts must be provided with your application. Specialized Experience Requirement for GS-11: Applicants must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in private or public sectors) performing paralegal or legal work such as: 1. conducting substantive legal research and providing technical legal support to attorneys engaged in enforcement, litigation, advisory, policy, and administrative law matters; 2. assisting attorneys in preparing administrative and judicial litigation by organizing documentary evidence, exhibits, witness files, deposition materials, and litigation notebooks; 3. reviewing and editing legal memoranda, briefs, correspondence, pleadings, and other legal documents for organizational compliance; and 4. managing competing deadlines and coordinating work across several legal practice areas while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. OR, Education Requirement for GS-11: Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR, Combination Requirement for GS-11: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as listed above. To compute this, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required above; then determine your total qualifying graduate education as a percentage of the education required above; add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal 100 percent to qualify. (Note: You may only use graduate education beyond the first 2 years (36 semester hours) in determining your creditable education). Status candidates must meet time-in-grade/band requirements: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 grade level. (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). In addition, you must provide a cover letter describing your experience with the competencies identified below: Administrative Law- Knowledge of state and federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements. Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, government organization and functions, and the democratic political process. Program Management -Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance. Writing- Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience. Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. Volunteer or unpaid experience: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you received a degree, the transcript must show the date the degree was awarded or conferred. A self-created transcript, or a list of courses you have prepared, is not acceptable. Foreign education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). You must provide translated transcripts.