Paralegal Specialist (Civil/Habeus)

Paralegal Specialist (Civil/Habeus)

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): Minneapolis, Minnesota

Salary Range: $96616 - $125606 Per Year

Job Summary: For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Major Duties:

• If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for complex civil, immigration and habeas litigation. The duties and responsibilities for a GS-0950-Paralegal Specialist (Civil/Habeas)-12 generally include, but are not limited to, the following: If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for complex civil, immigration, and habeas litigation. Typical work assignments will include: Performing legal and factual research in support of complex civil, immigration and habeas investigations and litigation; Researching and analyzing case law, statutes, legislative intent, judicial precedents, etc., as they relate to assigned cases; Utilizing a variety of automated legal research tools, including Westlaw, Westlaw-Next, and Lexis, as well as public information databases and other automated resources to perform case- or program-specific legal research; Reviewing and evaluating incoming defensive cases and planning a comprehensive approach to obtaining additional information and evidence; Advising the Civil Division attorneys on merits and weaknesses of civil, immigration and habeas cases and case strategy, and recommending defensive strategies; Assisting with managing discovery to include assisting with responding to propounded discovery; Assisting in drafting and issuing pleadings, discovery documents, and other pre-trial and trial documents; Managing large document productions, including establishing a database for documents, indexing documents, and managing, retrieving, and producing documents; Drafting various legal documents including correspondence, subpoenas, memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, complaints, briefs, and settlement agreements for attorney's review and signature; Assisting in pretrial preparations by preparing, scheduling, reviewing, and organizing the assembly of evidence, exhibits, discovery and other documents; Supporting attorneys in court proceedings by briefing attorneys on pertinent facts, issues, and case law, and by compiling, organizing, and indexing exhibits; Providing technical advice to litigation teams on legal automation requirements and systems capabilities to facilitate trial preparation and trial presentation; Assisting and/or training attorneys in organizing voluminous case information for efficient retrieval through automated means; Preparing computerized trial presentation programs; Overseeing the development of courtroom presentations for assigned cases Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: To be eligible at the GS-12 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service as defined below. Specialized Experience is defined as having the following experience: independently performing a variety of analytical paralegal or legal work which demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of law and legal reference materials; researching legal and factual issues for complex civil, immigration, and habeas cases; and analyzing legal issues, factual issues, and subject matter details involved in complex civil, immigration and habeas matters to evaluate proposed defensive strategy consistent with evidence and legal precedent.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/29/2025 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1. To begin the application process, 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 prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 12/29/2025. 4. 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 both on screen and via email notification. 5. 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. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements) 6. 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. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12856345To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Application Deadline: 2025-12-29