Paralegal Specialist

Paralegal Specialist

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): New Orleans, Louisiana

Salary Range: $61722 - $80243 Per Year

Job Summary: This position serves as a Paralegal Specialist within the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, supporting criminal prosecutions involving narcotics and related federal offenses. The selectee assists Assistant U.S. Attorneys in investigating and prosecuting cases by conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, and supporting litigation activities, including discovery and trial preparation.

Major Duties:

• If selected for this position, you will join a team responsible for assisting Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) by providing a wide variety of paralegal support services related to narcotics and related criminal matters. Typical work assignments will include: Assisting AUSAs in preparing for hearings, grand jury proceedings, and trial involving narcotics and related criminal cases; Conducting legal research using federal and state statutes, regulations, case law, and legal research systems to support investigations, prosecutions, and litigation activities; Drafting legal documents, correspondence, case summaries, and other litigation-related materials such as discovery documents, subpoenas, and exhibit lists for attorney review; Reviewing, summarizing, and organizing investigative materials, testimony, and evidence to support case development; Assisting with discovery by compiling, reviewing, organizing, and producing large volumes of records, and identifying missing or relevant information; Organizing cases for court presentations by preparing and managing exhibits, including documentary and digital evidence; Providing attorneys with legal documents, case materials, exhibits, and witness information during investigations and court proceedings; Maintaining and utilizing case tracking systems, logs, and databases to monitor case progress, assignments, deadlines, and document production; Providing administrative and case management support, including organizing files, managing records, and ensuring accurate documentation; and Supporting attorneys and legal staff in the preparation, organization, and maintenance of case materials to ensure efficient case management and presentation in a fast-paced, high-volume litigation environment. Tracking unit data, creating spreadsheets, and drafting quarterly and annual reports. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: 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 duties such as examining and processing legal documents; conducting legal research using statutes, regulations, case law, and other legal reference materials; and assisting in the analysis and evaluation of information in response to legal matters. Experience includes drafting legal documents, correspondence, and summaries for attorney review, and searching, reviewing, and organizing case files and other legal materials to support criminal investigations or prosecutions involving narcotics or related offenses. Experience may also include assisting with case development by reviewing and summarizing investigative materials, testimony, and evidence; supporting discovery by compiling, reviewing, and organizing large volumes of records; organizing and managing exhibits for hearings or trial; and maintaining case tracking systems, logs, or databases to monitor case progress, assignments, and deadlines in a high-volume litigation environment. 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. 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.

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 05/01/2026 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 05/01/2026. 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/12946699To 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: 2026-05-01