Skip to main content

This job has expired

Paralegal Specialist (Case Tracker)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Apr 15, 2021
Duties

Summary

The position is located in the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Appeals Counsel, Washington, District of Columbia. The office is responsible for adjudicating appeals filed by Federal employees. The incumbent of this position serves as a Paralegal Specialist responsible for assisting in the processing and adjudication of those appeals, as well as providing administrative support to the office.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
  • The incumbent performs legal analysis of requests for information, and other similar legal support functions.
  • The work requires discretion and independent judgment in the application of a specialized body of law, regulations, agency policies and practices, and judicial or administrative proceedings.
  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Performs final check of all decision documents, orders, memoranda, and related case files and supporting documents that have been completed by attorneys in the Office, and are ready to go to the Board for decision.
  • Performs legal research and develops drafts of decision documents and related supporting memoranda on petitions for review filed with the Board and coming up for Board decision.
  • Upon request, carries out legal research to assist an attorney working on a petition for review of an initial decision on appeal.
  • Prepares reports and summaries of work in progress within the Office, such as case inventory review reports, production reports, workload reports, and other needed for management of the program.
  • Contributes to reports on significant Board and court decisions by gathering information on key decisions and writing brief summaries of issues and findings, to be incorporated into periodic publications made available to the agency staff and others.
  • Individually, or as a member of a task force, works on projects to develop or update manuals and handbooks used in the agency, such as legal style manuals, procedures manuals, and other internal agency guidelines.
  • Participates in significant training programs, such as symposiums on key legal issues for the agency, training for attorneys and others in use of computer data bases related to legal research and citation of Board and court decisions.
  • Participate in training for legal support staff members in correct processing and preparation of cases going forward to the Board.
  • Performs the primary cases tracking duties for the Office, including receiving cases from other offices, and enter information in the Board's database.
  • Delivers case files to supervisory attorneys, assembling decision packets in cases ready for forwarding to the Board members, and delivering case files to members' offices and others as necessary.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
11

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • As a condition of employment, satisfactory completion and favorable adjudication of a background investigation and/or fingerprint check may be required for this position.
  • Successful completion of a one-year probationary or trial period (if new hire to the Federal service).


Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

EDUCATION

GS-9: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a closely related field such as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies.

GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a closely related field such as Paralegal Studies or Legal Studies.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if:

You are qualifying for the position based on education.
You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-/9/11 GRADE LEVELS
One year of specialized experience performing the range of duties as described above that has equipped you with comprehensive knowledge of the field of federal employment law and related areas of law that impact the rights, status, and obligations of federal employees equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in Federal service. This experience may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to:

Practical knowledge of a body of laws and related rules, regulations, and precedents involved in Federal employee appeals and litigation relating to Federal employment.
Skill in interpreting and applying them to varying situations; skill in evaluating the relevancy of precedents and summarizing pertinent data on issues.
Skill in researching and maintaining legal databases using electronic resources.
Skill in communicating with others in order to exchange legal information.
Skill in problem analysis and problem solving sufficient to communicate in the style and mode appropriate for work at the level of an appeals court.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-9/11 GRADE LEVELS: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

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 skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

There is no educational requirement for this position.

Additional information

  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
  • First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
  • This position is not eligible for telework.
  • Promotion Potential: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.
  • Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: 1-800-877-8339.
  • MSPB IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER and employment decisions are based on merit factors only. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in an employment decision by this agency, you have the right to seek counseling to resolve your complaint. You must do so within 45 days of the alleged discrimination action. If you desire to seek counseling, call the MSPB Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 202 653-6772, Ext 4405.


How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applications and required documentation (see below) will be reviewed to determine if applicants meet eligibility and job requirements. Qualified applicants will then be rated on the quality of experience, education, and training they possess relevant to the duties of the position and the extent applicants possess the following competencies:
  • Knowledge of research, including electronic research, interpretation, and application of case law relating to employment law.
  • Skill in using an electronic case management system to enter, update, and maintain data to ensure that agency employees and managers have available accurate information related to status and history of each case.
  • Ability and skill in reviewing and preparing a variety of legal documents.

The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. Your ratings in this Assessment Questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit.

Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Attempts to falsify information; inflate your qualifications or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may be grounds to adjust your rating or to not select you. Errors, omissions or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may affect your eligibility. If selected providing inaccurate information on federal documents could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please follow all instructions carefully.

To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11075456

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
  • Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) all supervisors' phone numbers and if they may be contacted; and 5) other qualifications.
  • Cover Letter: A cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications is preferred, but not required.
  • If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient if it includes your name and all course information. If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been obtained from an accredited institution. Education completed in a foreign institution must include an evaluation by an organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs that it was deemed equivalent to an accredited U.S. education program. For further information, see: Foreign Education Evaluation . All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
  • Current and former career/career-conditional Federal employees:
    • Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service (block 24 must contain a 1 or 2 and block 34 must contain a 1), highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade. If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade.
    • Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable (e.g., length of time in current position). A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
  • Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty that shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. Active duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. It must be on the letterhead of the military branch and include the dates of service. Veterans' preference must be verified prior to appointment. Visit Feds Hire Vets for more information.
  • If claiming 10-point veterans' preference you must provide the DD214 or certification (see above) plus the documentation listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. Failure to submit these documents could result in a finding that 10-point preference cannot be awarded.
  • Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment : Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
  • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), last performance appraisal, and the most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert