Summary

The Environmental Defense Section ("EDS" or "Section") represents the United States in complex and diverse civil litigation. EDS handles a wide range of district court cases, including defensive work under many pollution-control statutes. EDS also handles petitions for review of EPA regulations that are brought initially in the courts of appeals. The purpose of this position is to provide supervision and oversight to paralegals providing litigation support to meet the needs of the Section.

This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

DOJ ONLY: Open to current Federal Status employees within any component of the Department of Justice including DOJ CTAP eligibles.

Duties

One position to be filled in either Washington D.C. or Denver, Colorado.

The incumbent serves as a Supervisory Paralegal Specialist in the Environmental Defense Section. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Supervising the work of Section paralegals assigned to support trial attorneys.
• Planning and assigning work for the paralegal staff; establishing work priorities; and scheduling deadlines for the completion of work.
• Providing legal and technical support utilizing electronic document management tools to facilitate database management, creation of trial presentations, and other litigation support tasks.
• Directing Section paralegals on assigned projects; and assisting with complex litigation matters.
• Performing as a paralegal on assigned cases.
• Developing and updating training materials for paralegals and legal assistants to support trial attorneys and teams.
• Serving as a liaison between paralegals and attorneys/managers.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You must complete a background investigation to include pre-employment drug testing.
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
• Supervisory probationary period required if not already served.
• You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.

Qualifications

To qualify for GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-11 Federal grade level or above providing a variety of analytical paralegal and legal support work which demonstrates a practical knowledge of law; the litigation process; and applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.

Examples of specialized experience may include the following: analyzing and evaluating legal decisions and case files to identify relevant issues and potential evidence, conducting legal research concerning precedents and past court decisions, composing legal briefs, summaries or analyses and decisions, and pre-trial documents; interviewing witnesses and other individuals who can provide insight into cases under review; and preparing evidence and documents to support recommendations.

Experience in complex litigation, including discovery, motion practice and trial, is highly desirable. Experience supervising paralegals or employees is also desirable, but not required.

Applicants are requested to submit a short writing sample that does not exceed 10 pages.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skill and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time in Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements (one year at the next lower grade) by the closing date of announcement.

YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

To preview questions, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12415718.

Education

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Career Transition Programs: The Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in DOJ with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If you have received written notification of your eligibility for consideration under CTAP/ICTAP, you may receive special priority consideration for this position if you are well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria.

Benefits: DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

General Employment Information:

1. DOJ EEO STATEMENT: The U.S. Department of Justice fosters an inclusive and diverse workforce, find our EEO statement online at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1394116/dl?inline
2. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.

• Benefits
  
  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.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your resumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

All applicants' qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):

• Leadership
• Legal Research
• Litigation Procedures
• Managing Employees
• Performance & Awards

Please Note: Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available in the Division within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.

• Benefits
  
  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.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
  
  • Official position title;
  • Employer name and contact information;
  • Start and end dates (month and year);
  • A detailed list of duties & accomplishments;
  • Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
  • Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.
  
  Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.
  
  To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
  
  
  1. Resumé (cover letter optional).
  2. A short writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages).
  3. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, within-grade increase, or promotion, whichever is most recent. An Award, General Pay Adjustment, or other action will not suffice.
  4. Performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months.
  5. CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.
  6. Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
  
  If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:
  
  
  1. You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
  2. If you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
  3. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp
  
  Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:
  
  
  • Classified or government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
  • Encrypted and digitally signed documents
  
  If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate content, you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• How to Apply
  
  You must apply online through USAJOBS. Click on the APPLY button. Follow the prompts to login or create an account, answer a few questions, and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.
  
  To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. 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/
  
  If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Office of Human Resources using the contact information listed below.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  
  
  Carmen Browne
  
  Phone
  
  (202) 616-3127
  
  Email
  
  carmen.browne@usdoj.gov
  
  Address
  
  Environmental Defense Section
  
  150 M Street NE
  
  Washington, DC 20002
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your application, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

You must submit a detailed resume containing the following information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

• Official position title;
• Employer name and contact information;
• Start and end dates (month and year);
• A detailed list of duties & accomplishments;
• Your highest salary (or Federal grade/step) achieved; and
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time.

Additional required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement. Documentation requirements may vary from applicant to applicant based on your eligibility claims. It is your responsibility to carefully review the list below to determine which documents are required for your application.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resumé (cover letter optional).
2. A short writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages).
3. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which shows career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service or Federal reinstatement eligibility, such as an appointment action, within-grade increase, or promotion, whichever is most recent. An Award, General Pay Adjustment, or other action will not suffice.
4. Performance appraisal issued within the last 12 months.
5. CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.
6. Your online responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.

If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP:

1. You must submit your separation notice or agency RIF letter from your agency.
2. If you have not yet been separated, you can provide the letter of intent to separate you from the agency because of reduction-in-force.
3. Additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility can be found at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. Do not include the following types of information in your profile or resume:

• Classified or government sensitive information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
• Encrypted and digitally signed documents

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate content, you may not be considered for this vacancy.

How to Apply

You must apply online through USAJOBS. Click on the APPLY button. Follow the prompts to login or create an account, answer a few questions, and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. 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/

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Office of Human Resources using the contact information listed below.

Agency contact information



Carmen Browne

Phone

(202) 616-3127

Email

carmen.browne@usdoj.gov

Address

Environmental Defense Section

150 M Street NE

Washington, DC 20002

US

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your application, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Criminal history inquiries
• Financial suitability
• Selective Service
• New employee probationary period
• Signature and false statements
• Privacy Act
• Social security number request