As a Paralegal Specialist at the GS-0950-9, you will be part of Legal Unit Chicago District Office, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If selected, the incumbent serves as a Paralegal Specialist responsible for providing litigation and administrative support to the Legal Unit staff of Attorneys.

Duties
Locating witnesses and potential claimants (including use of computer software search tools) and conducting interviews to obtain information; then, coordinating for deposition, trial, settlements and claims processing.
Utilizing computer software skills for word processing and generation of spreadsheets; utilizing litigation support software such as CaseMap, Relativity, etc., for organizing evidence, analyzing discovery, and creating exhibits.
You may also be responsible for communicating with vendors, working with process servers, messengers, and copy service businesses, and the filing of court documents through electronic processes, by mail or in person.
Drafting the complaint and accompanying documents for filing cases in Federal District Court.
Assisting in legal research and analysis of factual and legal issues, laws, agency decisions, precedent; cases, rules, regulations, guidelines and policies to determine their bearing on legal issues.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment
Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualifications
For the GS-9: You must have (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience which has equipped you with the ability to support a legal team in the pursuit of court litigation though logistical support, analysis and organization of documents and evidence, and legal research and writing skills.

OR Successful completion of a master’s, or equivalent graduate degree, directly related to the position, OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date specified in the vacancy announcement.

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
Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information
Relocation expenses will not be paid.

This is a bargaining unit position: National Council of EEOC Locals, No. 216 Representing BUS code 1125.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees.

You will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across EEOC.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, please refer to the agency contact information.

If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans’ preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans’ preference, you must also submit an SF-15, “Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference” plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans’ preference (see https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans-preference/#content).

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see: https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)

All employees of the Federal government are subject to the conflict of interest statutes and regulations including the Standards of Ethical Conduct that govern activities with outside organizations and reporting financial holdings. This position may require the incumbent to complete a confidential financial disclosure report within 30 days of appointment.

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

For Category Rating: Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of the three quality categories: Qualified, Well Qualified, or Best Qualified. Qualified Category = Does not exceed the basic qualifications requirements described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement. Well Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the Critical Competencies defined below. (This category must be met to be considered under ICTAP procedures) Best Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement and excels in the Critical Competencies defined below. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Analyzing
Computer Skills
Interviewing Skills
Legal
Organizational Skills

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans’ preference points or apply the “rule of three,” but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent or higher will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on the competencies listed above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/

Equal Employment Opportunity
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

 

Required Documents

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

1. Your Resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Cover Letter, optional
3. College Transcripts, if using education in lieu of experience to qualify.
4. Veterans’ Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.)
5. Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.
6. Worker’s Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
7. Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
8. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
9. Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) – The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently or have been a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch within the last 5 years, you must disclose this in your application package.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/12/2023 to receive consideration.

To view the Assessment Questionnaire before applying online, click on this link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11939452
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.

• You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
• You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
• To verify the status of your application, log into https://login.usajobs.gov/Access/Transition select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The EEOC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the HR Specialist listed in this vacancy. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.TTY users may contact us via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.