Department: Department of Justice
Location(s): Falls Church, Virginia
Salary Range: $70623 - $111087 Per Year
Job Summary: This position is located in the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO), Executive Office for Immigration Review, U. S. Department of Justice. The Paralegal Specialist performs legal research, assists Administrative Law Judges in managing cases and dockets, processes filings and outgoing orders and decisions. This is a Competitive Service position; additional positions may be filled from this announcement within 90 days of certificate issuance.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: In order to qualify for the Paralegal Specialist 0950 -09 position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Researching statutes, regulations, decisions, opinions, legislative history, and other legal authorities; Coordinating the preparation and submission of correspondence, orders, and decisions in draft and final form; Providing status information on cases and answering specific procedural questions pertaining to the adjudication process; AND Scheduling prehearing conferences and hearings, including coordinating arrangements with parties and counsel, securing appropriate courtroom space, and/or making travel arrangement. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) -OR- Education: Have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR I have an LL.B. or J.D., in a directly related field. (Must provide transcripts.) NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. -OR- Combination: Possess a combination of the above described graduate education and specialized experience such that they total 100% of the stated minimum qualifications for the GS-09 level. Only graduate education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) may be used when combining education and experience for this option. (Must submit transcripts.) NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. In order to qualify for the Paralegal Specialist 0950 -11 position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties: Reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating discovery motions, petitions to intervene, other pleadings, and proposed testimony and exhibits in advance of conferences or hearings and summarizes their contents, identifying pertinent facts, procedural aspects, laws, and issues involved; Making recommendations to staff concerning allegations, legal arguments, uncontested facts, appraisal of evidence, and inferences to be drawn; Reviewing legal documents upon initial receipt for statutory and regulatory compliance, to include proper certification, party representation, and timeliness; AND Preparing legal memoranda, and drafts written decisions and orders. (Your resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience) -OR- Education: Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR I have an LL.M. in a directly related field. (Must submit transcripts.) NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. -OR- Combination: Have an appropriate combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed in A above; then determine your education as a percentage of the education listed in B above; then add the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate education in excess of two full years (36 hours) may be used to qualify. NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. Your resume must support your responses to the online 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. After you submit your application, you will receive notification indicated whether or not the USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment which is part of your application.
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 and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. 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: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. Occupational questionnaire can be previewed here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12898795 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 4. 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. 5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments. 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: 2026-03-31