Paralegal Specialist

Summary This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Administrative Review Board (ARB) located in Washington, DC. The Administrative Review Board (ARB) is responsible for issuing agency decisions under a variety of statutes, most of which involve whistleblower and public contract laws. This position full performance level is a GS-11. Position is not in the Bargaining Unit. Selectee will be expected to report to Washington, DC. Duties Major Duties: Performs docketing duties daily. Determines when case records are complete and assignable to a staff attorney for proper disposition. Provides technical support to the ARB's legal staff. (1) running and sharing reports from the electronic filing system necessary for the efficient operation and management of the office, such as reports reflecting open cases, closed cases, upcoming hearing dates, and cases ripe for closure; (2) maintaining information reflecting the current status and/or disposition of each case, the progress of the case through the evaluation and litigation stages, and the proper disposition of the case; (3) preparing reports of ARB results and case data as requested; and (4) consulting with other DOL agencies to process cases efficiently. Prepares, processes, and issues standard, pre-approved orders, letters, and other legal documents. Prepares draft final decisions and other orders of the ARB for issuance and service. Prepares records for disposition under the applicable records schedules. Receives, processes, and routes incoming mail each day and dockets information and prepares reports as necessary based on orders, decisions, motions, correspondence, and other materials received. Communicates and corresponds with parties, their representatives, and other interested people regarding ARB practices and procedures, including e-filing procedures and briefing requirements. Performs other duties as assigned. Requirements 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 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. You must meet the Specialized Experience and/or Education Substitution to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below. Minimum Qualifications for GS-07: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-05 in the Federal Service. 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. Qualifying specialized experience for GS-07 includes: Performing docketing and/or database management functions in a legal or administrative setting. Drafting documents and correspondence. Accepting and answering email correspondence and telephone calls and addressing inquiries. Managing records or files, paper and electronically. or Education:1 full year of graduate level education (One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement). or superior academic achievement (General Schedule Qualification Policies) 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) by 18. Add the two percentages. 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 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 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-In%E2%80%A6). 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. 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.