Paralegal Specialist

Duties Perform research to provide advice to attorneys.
Provide information to clients on rights, benefits, privileges, or obligations under various laws, judicial decisions, regulations and policies.
Assist and participate in the execution of legal documents by the parties concerned.
Coordinate with Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Administrative Branch to ensure adequate computer, printer, and internet assets are available for Soldier Readiness Program operations.
Manage Soldier Readiness Program operations to ensure smooth, timely provision of legal services.
Process tort claims for damage caused by negligent or wrongful acts of members or employees of the military service acting within the scope of their employment.
Requirements Conditions of Employment Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.
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).
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
Additional information about transcripts is in this document.
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes reviewing and analyzing case materials to locate relevant legal references and supporting documentation; interviewing possible witnesses; and drafting legal documents such as briefs, exhibits and opinions for an attorney's review, approval and use.
This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).
OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Business Management and/or Law.
OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%.
To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12.
Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18.
Add the two percentages.
Education FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.
S.
education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.
S.
accredited college or university.
For further information, visit: https://sites.
ed.
gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Additional information Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.
S.
Citizenship.
One year trial/probationary period may be required.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
This is a(n) Professional Services Career Field Career Field position.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
Student loan repayment may be authorized.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized.
Credit for Non-Federal Work Experience and Certain Military Service for Annual Leave Accrual Rate may be authorized.
Advanced In-Hire Rate for newly hired and new to federal civilian service may be authorized.
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 here: https://help.
usastaffing.
gov/Apply/index.
php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire 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.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.
g.
, resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified.
Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.
Best Qualified.
Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
Highly Qualified.
Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
Qualified.
Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.
You may claim Military Spouse preference.
Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level.
You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.
DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.
Only MSP/PPP applicants currently occupying a formal training program position are entitled to exercise their priority status.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).
If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position.
To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility.
To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above.
Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
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.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment.
A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1.
Your resume: Please limit your resume to 5 pages.
If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.
e.
, HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2.
Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.
Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.
To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12285396 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 02/12/2024.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application.
The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email.
The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.
Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link.
Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.
You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time.
If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment.
If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.
usastaffing.
gov/Apply/index.
php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application.
This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.
usajobs.
gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Agency contact information Army Applicant Help Desk Email USARMY.
APG.
CHRA-NE.
MBX.
APPLICANTHELP@MAIL.
MIL Website https://portal.
chra.
army.
mil/hr_public?id=app_inq Address EF-APF-W0VCAA US ARMY GARRISON FORT CAVAZOS HQ DO NOT MAIL Fort Cavazos, TX 76544 US Next steps If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application.
Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position.
If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments.
The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement.
You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
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 Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment.
A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1.
Your resume: Please limit your resume to 5 pages.
If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.
e.
, HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2.
Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.
Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help This job is open to The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.