Paralegal Specialist

Summary

This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) located in multiple locations. The selectee serves as a Paralegal Specialist responsible for conducting adjudicatory hearings and issuing decisions for the Department of Labor under more than 80 different laws and executive orders.

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Duties

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Location Selection Limitation: Applicants may select up to two (2) duty locations when applying to this announcement. Please carefully consider and choose only the locations you can reliably and easily commute to or otherwise access, if selected.

Locality Salary Ranges: Advertised salary reflects the minimum and maximum pay for the listed locations. Upon selection, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location. Below are the specific minimum and maximum salary for each location.

Applicants should apply to the location(s) they are able to regularly report to. Location will be determined once selection(s) is made. Salary posted reflects pay range for all locations. Once the selection has been made, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's location. The positions can be filled in any of the following locations:

Covington, LA: 74,678 - 97,087

Philadelphia, PA: 82,289 - 106,982

Pittsburgh, PA: 77,211 - 100,380

Major Duties:

• Provides research, legal support, and case development services to assigned ALJs. Researches and determines the legal actions necessary to prepare cases for hearing, such as developing and issuing various orders to obtain the required information. Analyzes and prepares responses and actions resulting from orders and motions, ensuring that claimants, representatives, and attorneys meet legal requirements.
• Prepares necessary legal documents for hearings, anticipates issues that may arise, and researches information, laws, and precedent cases for the ALJs. The incumbent provides information to attorneys and judges on the status of cases, actions required to bring cases to hearing, and an eventual decision being issued by the ALJ.
• Examines, analyzes, and evaluates the information, documentation, and factual and legal issues presented in case files to determine whether additional pre-hearing actions such as motions resolution, orders, extension, and continuances must be taken before cases are ready for hearing.
• Triage cases to determine the specific legal actions necessary to prepare cases for hearing and take appropriate actions such as developing and issuing various types of orders indicating the precise nature of information required.
• Research involves a comprehensive understanding of legal research tools, including LEXIS, WESTLAW, LEGIS, OALJ, and other administrative websites such as those of the Securities Exchange Commission, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Authority, Federal Railroad Retirement Board, and the like, Identifies the need for parties to provide mediator additional infomation concerning facts and law governing case.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.

Qualifications

You must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education Substitution to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Position titles alone cannot be used to determine if you are qualified. Please list dates in MM/DD/YY format. This is imperative in determining if whether you have at least one year of creditable specialized experience. Dates will not be assumed.

GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include:

1. Conducting research on routine cases.

2. Utilizing knowledge of resource tools to investigate, analyze, and resolve issues in simple casework.

3. Provides effective direct service on assigned matters to include fact finding, problem analysis, problem solving, writing and interpreting regulations and/or policies.

4. Analyzing and evaluating case files to identify factual issues, assisting in trial preparation.

OR

PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

An equivalent combination of specialized experience directly related to the work of the position and some graduate level education in a related field which has provided you with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

For more information, click Career Ladder Promotion Information

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click for more information on Pay, Leave, and Workforce Flexibilities.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) 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 RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.