PARALEGAL SPECIALIST (Financial Crimes)

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys•Billings, MT

About The Position

The Paralegal Specialist works in the Financial Crimes department of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. The position organizes and prepares research material, identifies information pertinent to cases, and drafts legal documents that identify legal or factual issues, locate precedents, and develop legally supportable conclusions. The specialist may assist Assistant United States Attorneys in court during hearings and trials, and participates in pre-trial witness conferences to identify deficiencies in case materials and matters requiring further investigation. The position determines which statutes, regulations, cases, procedures, and policies need research and assembly, prepares initial summaries, and makes recommendations about the appropriateness of the information. Responsibilities and assignments grow in complexity as training and experience progress. This is a temporary promotion that may be extended for up to five years total or made permanent without further competition.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or nationality.
Satisfactory pre-employment adjudication, including fingerprint, credit, tax, and drug checks; continued employment is subject to a favorable background investigation.
Registration 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.
Meet qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the announcement closing date and before placement.
For GS-09: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 performing paralegal or legal work demonstrating basic legal research knowledge and ability to interpret legal decisions; or qualifying graduate education; or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
For GS-11: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 performing analytical paralegal or legal work demonstrating practical knowledge of law, litigation and judicial processes, and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; or qualifying graduate education; or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
Academic degrees and coursework must be from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be shown to be comparable to U.S. accredited education, with documentation and English translation where required.

Responsibilities

Organize and prepare research material and determine which information is pertinent to a case.
Draft legal documents identifying legal or factual issues, locating precedents, and developing legally supportable conclusions.
Assist Assistant United States Attorneys in court during hearings and trials, as needed.
Participate in pre-trial witness conferences and note deficiencies in case materials and matters requiring further investigation.
Determine which statutes, regulations, cases, procedures, and policies need to be researched and assembled; prepare initial summaries and recommend whether the information is appropriate.
Take on increasingly complex responsibilities and assignments as training and experience progress.