Paralegal Specialist (Financial Litigation)

Summary

For information on the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. This position is also being announced to All U.S. Citizens and Nationals under 26-TXE-13085644-Delegated Examining. There is one position to be filled. It will be filled in one of the following locations: Beaumont, Plano, or Tyler, TX. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Duties

This position is in the Financial Litigation Unit (FLU), Civil Division, U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas, Eastern. The incumbent provides legal support to the Financial Litigation Program Section Chief related to financial litigation. The work involves independently performing legal research, legal writing, and developing factual material necessary to assist in litigation by the United States to collect large claims, to impose penalties, or to vindicate other public rights. If selected for this position, you will serve as a Paralegal Specialist with the United States Attorney's Office, Texas, Eastern. Duties will include, but are not limited to: Review and organize complex factual material and other documentary data for investigations and trials. Provide advice on the most efficient method for preparing legal documents. Provide support to the financial litigation program. Analyze debtors' financial assets. Drafts and/or prepare letters, forms, and reports necessary to initiate the collection of debts. Obtain and analyze debtors' financial information to determine their present and future ability to pay. Use tables and citation checking with efficiency. Conduct debtor interviews and maintain clear oral and written communication with debtors and agencies. Ascertains financial ability and establishes payment schedules that meet guidelines. Review, summarize, and outline the financial situation of debtors and make recommendations on the most appropriate legal action. Prepare a variety of substantive legal documents, including, extradition requests, grand jury and trial subpoenas, interrogatory requests, and documentation relevant to acquiring evidence or testimony. Develop and enter various case material into a computer database. Prepare charts, graphs, and tables to illustrate results. Prepare, develop, compile, and maintain jury instructions in preparing for trial. Prepare exhibits for trial, which typically involve a wide range of visual materials. Provide litigation case management and organize cases for court presentation. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist (Financial Litigation), at GS-0950-9, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below. GS-9: To be eligible at the GS-9 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below: Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience. Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing paralegal or legal work, which demonstrates a basic knowledge of legal research and the ability to interpret legal decisions. Examples of specialized experience may include the following: providing support to financial litigation cases; examining and processing a variety of legal documents; conducting research, analysis, and evaluation of data in response to complex or sensitive requests; drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence; using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information; documenting findings and preparing recommendations; and searching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel. OR Education: One of the following types of education in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Law): a Master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as an LL.B. or J.D.); OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 1 full year. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, first determine the total number of graduate- level hours that exceed 18 semester hours (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study), then divide the total number of your excess graduate semester hours by 18 (or your school's definition of one year of graduate study). To calculate your percentage of specialized experience, divide the total number of months of qualifying experience by 12. Now, add the two percentages together. The sum of the percentages must equal at least 100%. You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by the 11/04/2026 of this announcement. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2026, to complete the assessment, as the assessment is part of your application. Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a Member 4 Copy of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement. Special Employment Consideration: People with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below. You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments.

Evaluations

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. You must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments. Your USAHIRE assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. Additionally, we will review your supporting documents and resume to determine if you are in the "Area of Consideration" for this vacancy. Government-wide merit promotion vacancies may only accept applications from a limited audience; pay careful attention to the "Who May Apply" and the "Hiring Paths" information. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. 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 In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. BASIS OF FINAL RATING: DOJ's Merit Promotion Procedures will be used to evaluate candidates. If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13085645.

How to apply To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/04/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 11/04/2026. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessment System. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. If you are asked to take the USA Hire competency-based assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements). Note: Set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the "Additional Application Information" page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account. Need Help? If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites, which include information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc. Reasonable Accommodation: Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Kelly Holland at Kelly.D.Holland@usdoj.gov or (903) 510-9352 for assistance. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire competency-based assessments, you must submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found at: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

Other information Additional selections may be made from this announcement. You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy. The Department of Justice 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. 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service. Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.