Summary The incumbent serves as a Paralegal Specialist in the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) Located in Covington, LA. The incumbent provides research assistance and paralegal support to one or more Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) in the conduct of hearings and the issuance of decisions and orders under the statutes administered by the Department of Labor. Responsibilities Provides research, legal support, and case development services to assigned ALJs. Researches and determines the specific legal actions which are necessary to prepare cases for hearing, such as developing and issuing various types of orders to obtain the required information. Analyzes and prepares responses and actions resulting from orders and motions, ensuring that claimants, representatives, and attorneys meet legal requirements. Prepares necessary legal documents for hearings, anticipates issues that may arise, and researches information, laws, and precedent cases for the ALJ's. The incumbent provides information to attorneys and judges on the status of cases, actions required to bring cases to hearing, and an eventual decision being issued by the ALJ. Examines, analyzes, and evaluates the information, documentation, and factual and legal issues presented in case files to determine whether additional pre-hearing actions such as motions resolution, orders, extension, and continuances must be taken before cases are ready for hearing. Triages cases to determine the specific legal actions necessary to prepare cases for hearing and take appropriate actions such as developing and issuing various types of orders indicating the precise nature of information required. Analyzes post-hearing briefs to help process the case and prepares for the Judge's final decision. Performs legal research to ensure that the case law cited is the applicable precedent; reviews transcripts for factual determinations. Assists in planning and managing the OALJ law library; reviewing and responding to requests for subpoenas and preparing required documents; preparing requests and dispositions for Settlement Judges on cases referred under the Settlement Judge or Alternate Dispute Resolution process; follows the established appeals process and maintains records and statistics for the several legal processes within the agency. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet the Basic Requirements listed in the Qualifications section and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Paralegal Specialist, as described below. 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. 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/YYYY FORMAT. THIS IS IMPERATIVE IN DETERMINING IF WHETHER YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF CREDITABLE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE. DATES WILL NOT BE ASSUMED. GS-07: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience include: Overseeing caseload management by tracking essential documents, responses, and timelines; coordinating schedules for various legal proceedings, and/or providing support to ensure effective case processing; Evaluating case-related materials to identify necessary support for court activities and assisting with the smooth operation of proceedings (i.e. docket reports, managing exhibits, assisting witnesses and jurors, etc.); Assessing submissions for compliance and ensuring adherence to established guidelines, while also addressing inquiries from stakeholders regarding procedural matters; Identifying deficiencies on improperly filed documents (i.e. cases, exhibits, and judicial proceedings) in electric filing systems (EFS). And/or Successful completion of a Master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge's, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position' And/or Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate education that provided the knowledge's, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; And/or Successful completion of a Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree such as a LL.B or J.D that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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 This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit. 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. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, 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 Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information Click here for 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 Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information. 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.