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Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate)
Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Criminal Division
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Summary
This is an excepted service appointment under the Department of Justice Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment. A recent grad converted to a term appointment may be subsequently converted non-competitively into a permanent competitive service position before the term expires.
Learn more about this agency
Summary
This is an excepted service appointment under the Department of Justice Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment. A recent grad converted to a term appointment may be subsequently converted non-competitively into a permanent competitive service position before the term expires.
Learn more about this agency
Overview
Help
Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/12/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 12, 2026
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible Yes-Limited situational telework in accordance with agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $57,736 - $91,815 per year
Unless you have prior federal experience, you will likely start at the step 1 of the pay scale which is GS-7: $57,736; GS-9: $70,623.
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Promotion potential 12
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 No
Drug test Yes Security clearance Other Financial disclosure required No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number 26-CRM-PATH-002 Control number 872097800
This job is open to
Help
Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference
Recent graduates
Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.
Individuals with disabilities
Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.
Clarification from the agency
Candidates eligible under the Pathways Recent Graduate Program.
Duties
Help
Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate) positions are available in the following sections of the Criminal Division:
This vacancy includes a Selective Placement Factor. Please see below for more information.
As a Paralegal Specialist (Recent Graduate), you may perform duties such as:
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
Qualifications
To be eligible for this recent graduate position, one of the following requirements must be met:
To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, applicants must have one of the following:
To qualify at the GS-09 grade level, applicants must have one of the following:
Selective Placement Factor: To qualify for this position at the GS-09/11 grade level, applicants must be proficient in English writing. Applicants proficiency in (English) writing will be assessed through an online (USA Hire) writing assessment. Applicants who do not display a minimum level of proficiency on the USA Hire Writing Assessment will be ineligible for further consideration.
Combination of Education and Experience - Your current education completed is credited as a percentage of the education required for the grade level and your current experience is credited as a percentage of the total experience required for the grade level. The two percentages are added and must equal 100% in order to qualify for the desired grade level.
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.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.
Education
There is no degree requirement for this position. As described in the Qualifications, you must be a recent graduate in order to be eligible for this position.
Additional information
Upon successful completion of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, candidates may be converted to a position with a different career ladder. Candidates may be converted to the grade at which they qualify. Conversion to a permanent or term position is not guaranteed and is subject to many factors such as funding, position availability, and performance.
Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement.
EEO Statement: 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. Additional information on DOJs EEO policy can be found on our website.
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 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. 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 if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need an RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments online at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation.
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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated under Rule of Many procedures. This announcement uses the Set Number of Candidates method under 5 CFR 332.402. The top 15 eligible candidates will be referred per grade level. Preference eligibles will receive 5 or 10 points added to their score based on the adjudicated preference. All applicants at or above the pre-determined number, including ties and any preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, at any score, will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. We will provide the selecting official with a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least three candidates per vacancy. If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we will expand the group in accordance with DOJs supplemental strategy and OPM policy.
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g, resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
If you would like to preview the application questionnaire, please see: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12976077.
Veterans Preference and Military Spouses: If you are entitled to veterans preference or are a military spouse, please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details or visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/veterans-preference/#content. The selecting official will adhere to veterans preference rules and Rule of Many procedures when making selections.
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
You are strongly encouraged to convert your resume to an Adobe PDF file prior to submitting your application, especially if you are submitting using a Mac system. Resumes not pre-converted to a PDF file will undergo conversion by the system. This conversion process may cause some formatting changes to your resume, including line and page break errors. To ensure your submitted resume does not display with formatting issues, please submit your resume as a PDF. This error does not affect USAjobs resumes.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:
Resume (cover letter is optional) - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Your resume must be no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Please ensure all information you believe is qualifying for the position is contained in the first two pages, or you may be marked ineligible. Additionally, your resume must include the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week).
Unofficial Transcripts - transcripts must reflect cumulative GPA. If selected, applicants will be required to provide an official copy of their transcript before they enter on duty.
Degree audits will not be accepted. Transcripts need to display your name and credit hours earned.
If it cannot be determined that you meet the eligibility requirements, you may be removed from consideration.
If you have already graduated, your degree conferral date must be indicated on your transcripts.
USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Requests - If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you may be asked to submit documentation to support your request (https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation).
Documentation of Eligibility for Special Hiring Authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - Please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. 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.
Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - The Criminal Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. The Criminal Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to the Criminal Division disability POC at crm.schedulea@usdoj.gov.
Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable):
If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member 4 Copy), or other documentation of service and separation under honorable conditions. If you do not have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/veterans.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or parent or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable, if you do not have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-started-with-va/ or call 1-800-827-1000.
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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on 06/12/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. However, you will not be able to make changes to questions related to assessing the minimum qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) mentioned in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at CRM.RA@usdoj.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Agency contact information
Human Resources
Phone (202) 514-0361 Email criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. After a review of your complete application package, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. If a tentative job offer is made, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
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
You are strongly encouraged to convert your resume to an Adobe PDF file prior to submitting your application, especially if you are submitting using a Mac system. Resumes not pre-converted to a PDF file will undergo conversion by the system. This conversion process may cause some formatting changes to your resume, including line and page break errors. To ensure your submitted resume does not display with formatting issues, please submit your resume as a PDF. This error does not affect USAjobs resumes.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:
Resume (cover letter is optional) - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Your resume must be no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Please ensure all information you believe is qualifying for the position is contained in the first two pages, or you may be marked ineligible. Additionally, your resume must include the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week).
Unofficial Transcripts - transcripts must reflect cumulative GPA. If selected, applicants will be required to provide an official copy of their transcript before they enter on duty.
Degree audits will not be accepted. Transcripts need to display your name and credit hours earned.
If it cannot be determined that you meet the eligibility requirements, you may be removed from consideration.
If you have already graduated, your degree conferral date must be indicated on your transcripts.
USA Hire Reasonable Accommodations Requests - If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you may be asked to submit documentation to support your request (https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation).
Documentation of Eligibility for Special Hiring Authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - Please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. 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.
Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - The Criminal Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. The Criminal Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to the Criminal Division disability POC at crm.schedulea@usdoj.gov.
Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable):
If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member 4 Copy), or other documentation of service and separation under honorable conditions. If you do not have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/veterans.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or parent or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable, if you do not have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-started-with-va/ or call 1-800-827-1000.
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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on 06/12/2026 to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. However, you will not be able to make changes to questions related to assessing the minimum qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) mentioned in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at CRM.RA@usdoj.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Expand Hide how to apply
Agency contact information
Human Resources
Phone (202) 514-0361 Email criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. After a review of your complete application package, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. If a tentative job offer is made, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
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
Consider joining the Department of Justice, Criminal Division. One of seven litigating divisions in the Department, the Criminal Division investigates and prosecutes complex criminal matters and assists the United States Attorneys Offices in investigations, trials, and appeals. In addition to its direct litigation responsibilities, the Division formulates and implements criminal enforcement policy and provides advice and assistance in sensitive areas of law enforcement; advises the Attorney General, Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House on matters of criminal law; provides legal advice and assistance to federal prosecutors and investigative agencies; and provides leadership for coordinating international as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement matters.
This posting is for open Paralegal Specialist positions within various sections of the Criminal Division, to include:
Agency contact information
Human Resources
Phone (202) 514-0361 Email criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov
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.
http://www.justice.gov/criminal
Summary
This is an excepted service appointment under the Department of Justice Pathways Recent Graduate Program. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may, at agency discretion, be converted to a term or permanent appointment. A recent grad converted to a term appointment may be subsequently converted non-competitively into a permanent competitive service position before the term expires.
Learn more about this agency
Overview
Help
Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/12/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 12, 2026
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
No matching locations found.
Work site options
Telework eligible Yes-Limited situational telework in accordance with agency policy. Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $57,736 - $91,815 per year
Unless you have prior federal experience, you will likely start at the step 1 of the pay scale which is GS-7: $57,736; GS-9: $70,623.
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Promotion potential 12
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 No
Drug test Yes Security clearance Other Financial disclosure required No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number 26-CRM-PATH-002 Control number 872097800
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