Department of Justice

Paralegal Specialist

Lafayette, Louisiana Full time

Paralegal Specialist

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): Lafayette, Louisiana

Salary Range: $61111 - $79443 Per Year

Job Summary: This announcement is for All U.S. Attorneys' offices and Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys - Current Federal employees in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates) in all U.S. Attorneys' offices and the Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys, plus well-qualified surplus and displaced DOJ employees (CTAP) in the local commuting area. Internal Employees Only. .

Major Duties:

  • The duties and responsibilities for a GS-0950-09, Paralegal Specialist generally include, but are not limited to, the following: As a Paralegal Specialist in the United States Attorney's Office (USAO), you will: - 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: To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist, at GS-0950-09, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below. There may also be a positive education requirement for some occupations, please see the Education section for details. If there are licensing or certification requirements, please see the Required Documents section for details on how to verify you license or certificate. GS-9: To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a Combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. 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: 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 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. You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the closing date of this announcement, (Close Date). Your resume must support your responses to the application 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.

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on (Close Date) to receive consideration. Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. 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. 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) 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. NEED HELP? If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc. Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Lonnie Chaney at lonnie.chaney@usdoj.gov or 318-676-3607 for assistance.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-21