Paralegal Specialist

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Columbus, OH

About The Position

The Paralegal Specialist joins the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio. The role supports attorneys in criminal investigations, litigation, and trial preparation by organizing case materials, conducting legal research, preparing documents and exhibits, managing discovery, and coordinating court and grand jury schedules. Responsibilities will increase in complexity as training and experience progress. Additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Must meet the applicable GS-7 or GS-9 qualification requirements through specialized experience, education, or a combination of education and experience.
For GS-7 specialized experience: experience drafting routine legal documents and correspondence; assisting with discovery organization and production; assisting with trial preparation and pre-trial filings; extracting information from legal documents; verifying citations and statutory references; and using computerized databases to organize case documents.
For GS-7 education qualification: one full year of progressively higher-level graduate education in a related field leading to a master's degree, or a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement, as defined in the announcement.
For GS-7 combination qualification: qualifying specialized experience and graduate education must combine to 100% of the requirements.
For GS-9 specialized experience: paralegal or legal work demonstrating basic legal research knowledge and ability to interpret legal decisions, such as handling legal documents, conducting research and analysis, drafting legal documents, using filing systems, managing discovery, and searching legal references and case files.
For GS-9 education qualification: a master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field, or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
For GS-9 combination qualification: qualifying specialized experience and graduate education must combine to 100% of the requirements.
Initial appointment is conditioned on satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing; continued employment depends on favorable background-investigation adjudication.
Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
May be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date.
Must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date and before placement.
Academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. education, and documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Responsibilities

Review and organize complex factual material and documentary data for investigations and trials.
Assist in drafting, reviewing, and filing criminal charging documents, plea agreements, and other litigation documents.
Process, prepare, and transmit discovery materials to opposing counsel, including Bates stamping documents, preparing discovery letters, and maintaining discovery logs.
Research case law, statutes, regulations, court rules, policies, procedures, legal periodicals, and other legal authorities relevant to cases.
Prepare substantive legal documents, including grand jury and trial subpoenas, motions and proposed orders regarding continuances and sealing, correspondence, and documents relevant to acquiring evidence or testimony.
Develop, enter, and track case materials in computer databases and other systems.
Assist attorneys in reviewing and analyzing evidence and data to assess the sufficiency and accuracy of information and evidence.
Communicate with court staff, attorneys, and other paralegals to coordinate court hearings and grand jury schedules.
Prepare, develop, compile, or maintain jury instructions for trial.
Prepare trial exhibits involving a range of visual materials.
Provide litigation case management and organize cases for court presentation.
Provide administrative support to assigned attorneys.