Paralegal Specialist

Offices, Boards and Divisions • New York, NY

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Civil Division, comprising more than 900 attorneys and 14 litigating components, represents the United States, its departments and agencies, Members of Congress, Cabinet Officers, and other Federal employees in civil or criminal matters within its responsibility. This position is in the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, International Trade Field Office in New York, New York.

The Paralegal Specialist provides litigation support to Trial Attorneys, with responsibilities and independence that vary by grade level (GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12). Duties include preparing litigation documents; conducting legal and factual research; organizing and reviewing discovery and evidence; supporting depositions and trials; and producing written summaries and analyses for attorney use. At higher grade levels, the role involves more independent coordination of trial and discovery activities, management of electronic litigation resources, and complex research and analysis.

Requirements

• United States citizenship or nationality.
• Complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check, including drug screening.
• Meet applicable qualification requirements by the announcement closing date and throughout the hiring process.
• GS-9: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 organizing evidentiary materials and litigation files, using research tools, and assisting attorneys with legal documents; or a directly related master's/equivalent graduate degree, two years of progressively higher graduate education toward such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D.; or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
• GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9 conducting legal research, verifying citations and references, drafting legal documents and correspondence, pleadings, motions, and briefs, and supporting attorneys in developing and managing litigation evidence; or a directly related Ph.D./equivalent, three years of progressively higher graduate education toward such a degree, or an LL.M.; or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
• GS-12: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11 conducting extensive and specialized legal research, identifying conflicting information, drafting analyses to support litigation strategy, coordinating trial activities, managing high-volume discovery, and preparing or reviewing complex litigation documents.
• Current or former permanent competitive-service government employees must meet applicable one-year time-in-grade requirements and submit an applicable SF-50.
• Males born on or after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or have an approved exemption.
• Submit a resume that supports application questionnaire responses and qualification claims. Applicants relying on education must submit transcripts meeting the stated accreditation and documentation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Prepare pretrial, trial, and post-trial documents.
• Provide technical and logistical support during depositions and trials, including operating electronic databases and trial presentation software.
• Code and index discovery materials, conduct document searches, organize case files, and coordinate document production.
• Draft summaries of witness interviews, depositions, and meetings.
• Conduct factual and legal research, analyze legal and factual information, and prepare written analyses for attorney review.
• Draft litigation documents, including memoranda, subpoenas, discovery requests and responses, affidavits, motions, correspondence, and briefs, for supervisory review.
• Verify citations, quotations, and supporting authorities; ensure documents comply with court rules and formatting requirements.
• Assist Trial Attorneys with witness preparation, investigations, document review, and legal precedent research.
• Prepare and organize evidence for discovery and trial; conduct first-level review of discovery documents.
• Participate in discovery, including identifying discovery needs, drafting requests, reviewing materials for responsiveness and privilege, and coordinating with attorneys.
• Interpret and synthesize technical data and supporting materials.
• Prepare tables of contents and authorities for briefs.
• Coordinate trial activities and manage electronic litigation databases and trial presentation software.
• Prepare comprehensive written analyses involving complex factual and legal research for attorney use.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed