Paralegal Specialist

Paralegal Specialist

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): Allentown, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Salary Range: $52727 - $99404 Per Year

Job Summary: 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-12947561-DE.

Major Duties:

• This Paralegal Specialist provides substantive legal support to Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) in a variety of specialized litigative activities related to investigations and prosecutions of Federal criminal violations of international narcotics trafficking and money laundering laws. The incumbent provides support in litigative activities related to long-term and complex investigations and prosecutions that target international drug trafficking cartels and their related money laundering organizations, as well as the investigation and prosecution of narco-terrorism cases. Duties include serving as a technical authority performing work which is characterized by a depth and variety of problem- solving analysis, interpretation, and evaluation associated with the resolution of unusually complicated legal matters. The incumbent is required to use considerable ingenuity to anticipate program or case requirements, develop legal arguments and supporting evidence, resolve conflicting statements, or search for corroborating or contravening precedents. Available guidelines and references are often limited to basic legislation, implementing regulations, and agency policies which must be carefully analyzed for general application. Duties performed require discretion and independent judgment in the application of specialized knowledge of particular laws, regulations, precedents or agency practices and directly affect the outcome of USAO cases. Legal knowledge required is less than that represented by graduation from a recognized law school. If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Paralegal Specialist support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing in the areas of International Narcotics and Money Laundering. Typical work assignments will include: Review and organize complex factual material and other documentary data for investigations and trials. Provide advice on the most efficient method for preparing legal documents. Use tables and citation checking with efficiency. Prepare a variety of substantive legal documents to include extradition requests, grand jury and trial subpoenas, interrogatory requests, and documentation relevant to acquiring evidence or testimony. Develop and enter various case material into a computer database. Prepare charts, graphs, and tables to illustrate results. Prepare, develop, compile, or maintain jury instructions in preparing for trial. Prepare exhibits for trial which typically involve a wide range of visual materials. Provide litigation case management and organize cases for court presentation. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying: To qualify at the GS-09 level, you must possess ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of both Education and Specialized Experience. Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (3) of the (4) duties listed below: Specialized experience is defined as experience performing paralegal or legal work which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and the ability to interpret legal decisions. Examples of specialized experience may include the following: providing trial support to attorneys by preparing complaints, motions, subpoenas, orders, or other hearing and/or trial documents accurately and in proper format verifying citations and statutory references contained in legal documents assisting with discovery, hearing or trial preparation by performing duties such as compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists using software applications and legal and non-legal databases to produce legal related reports and documents, conduct factual legal research, develop tables of contents and indices to briefs, and prepare courtroom presentations OR Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law): a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D.); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year. To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must possess ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of both Education and Specialized Experience. Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (3) of the (4) duties listed below: Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical paralegal work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Examples of specialized experiences may include the following: examining and processing a variety of legal documents conducting research, analysis and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests; drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information document findings and preparing recommendations; searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel. OR Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law): a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years. To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must meet the following specialized experience condition statement defined below. Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) (3) of the (4) duties listed below: Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing a variety of analytical paralegal or legal work which demonstrates an elaborate knowledge of law, the litigation and judicial process, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Examples of specialized experiences may include the following: analyzing and evaluating legal decisions and case files to identify relevant issues and potential evidence conducting legal research concerning precedents and past court decisions composing legal briefs, summaries of analyses and decisions, and pre-trial documents interviewing witnesses and various individuals who can provide insight into cases under review and preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations. 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-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. One year at the GS-09 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. One year at the GS-11 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 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).

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.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-14