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Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate)
Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Civil Division
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Summary
The Civil Division is the largest litigating component of the Department of Justice, representing the interests of the United States in some of the nations most significant civil litigation matters. Our teams handle cases involving constitutional law, national security, immigration, government programs, consumer protection, civil fraud, and other matters of critical public importance.
Learn more about this agency
Summary
The Civil Division is the largest litigating component of the Department of Justice, representing the interests of the United States in some of the nations most significant civil litigation matters. Our teams handle cases involving constitutional law, national security, immigration, government programs, consumer protection, civil fraud, and other matters of critical public importance.
Learn more about this agency
Overview
Help
Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/02/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 2, 2026
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible Yes-as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $57,736 - $91,815 per year Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Promotion potential 11
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule Full-time Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union Yes
Drug test Yes Security clearance Secret Position sensitivity and risk Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number DE-12979318-26-BLC Control number 873900100
This job is open to
Help
Recent graduates
Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to individuals who received a qualifying associate, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the past two years (or longer for certain veterans).
Duties
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As a GS- 0950-7/9, your typical work assignments may include the following:
GS-0950-07 Grade Level:
GS-0950-09 Grade Level:
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
Qualifications
To qualify for the position of Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate), at GS-0950-07-09, you must meet the basic requirements listed below.
Basic Requirement: To be eligible, applicants must apply within two years of degree or certificate completion (except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who have up to six years after degree completion to apply). For additional information on the Recent Graduates Pathways Program, please click here.
NOTE: You must submit transcripts or official documentation, to verify Recent Graduate Program eligibility. Transcripts MUST reflect the degree/ certificate program and the degree conferred date (official transcripts are required upon selection). If youve graduated in May, please inlcude that information on your resume or in your cover letter if you chose to do one. Official transcripts will be required prior to appointment for all selectees.
In addition to the eligibility requirements for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, you must also meet the following qualifications requirements in order to qualify for the Paralegal Specialist.
To qualify for the GS-07 position, you must meet one of following minimum qualification requirements:
To qualify for the GS-9 position, you must meet one of the following minimum qualification requirements:
You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the Close Date of this announcement.
Your resume must support your responses to the online 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.
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.
All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Additional information
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.
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.
USA Hire 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 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an 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. To determine if you need an RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.
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.
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 were born male, on or 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 Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicants criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to Victoria Jones at Victoria.jones@usdoj.gov.
Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.
Expand Hide additional information
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
Help
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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):
When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated, in the applicants resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.
Please Note: Additional selections may be made from this announcement for up to 90 days should additional similar openings occur in this, or any other office within DOJ.
Benefits
Help
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.
Required documents
Required Documents
Help
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application package which includes:
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
Help
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/02/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1.) To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2.) Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3.) Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4.) 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 both on screen and via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
5.) 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
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Agency contact information
Brandon Cox
Fax 202-514-7968 Email brandon.l.cox@usdoj.gov Address Civil Division
1100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your 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.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications.
After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 90 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Financial suitability New employee probationary period
Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
Selective Service Signature and false statements
Social security number request
Required Documents
Help
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application package which includes:
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
Help
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/02/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1.) To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
2.) Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3.) Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4.) 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 both on screen and via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
5.) 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
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Expand Hide how to apply
Agency contact information
Brandon Cox
Fax 202-514-7968 Email brandon.l.cox@usdoj.gov Address Civil Division
1100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your 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.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications.
After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 90 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Expand Hide next steps
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Financial suitability New employee probationary period
Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
Selective Service Signature and false statements
Social security number request
Offices, Boards and Divisions
This position is being filled through the Recent Graduates Program, which is designed for individuals who have completed a qualifying degree or educational program within the past two years.
You do not need a paralegal degree or certificate to qualify. We are looking for talented, motivated individuals who can think critically, analyze information, follow instructions, manage competing priorities, meet tight deadlines, and communicate clearly in writing.
The Civil Division will provide both formal training and hands-on experience to help you develop the skills needed to succeed in the role. You will work alongside experienced attorneys and legal professionals while contributing to meaningful, high-impact litigation.
Upon successful completion of the Recent Graduates Program, participants may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent position, offering an opportunity to build a long-term career in federal service.
Agency contact information
Brandon Cox
Fax 202-514-7968 Email brandon.l.cox@usdoj.gov Address Civil Division
1100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Visit our careers page
Learn more about what its like to work at Offices, Boards and Divisions, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.
Summary
The Civil Division is the largest litigating component of the Department of Justice, representing the interests of the United States in some of the nations most significant civil litigation matters. Our teams handle cases involving constitutional law, national security, immigration, government programs, consumer protection, civil fraud, and other matters of critical public importance.
Learn more about this agency
Overview
Help
Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/02/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 2, 2026
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible Yes-as determined by the agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $57,736 - $91,815 per year Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Promotion potential 11
Learn more about pay scale and grade
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule Full-time Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union Yes
Drug test Yes Security clearance Secret Position sensitivity and risk Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number DE-12979318-26-BLC Control number 873900100
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