Paralegal

The Office of the Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, is seeking a well-organized, detail-oriented, and reliable individual to serve as a Paralegal. The incumbent works closely with the Special Counsel to the Clerk and responds to inquiries from parties regarding cases, researches legal questions, reviews motions, and drafts orders. The incumbent serves as a back-up to the Courtroom Deputy. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: • Reviews motions and other filings, conducts legal research, answers questions related to court policies and practices, prepares memoranda, and drafts and issues orders. • Prepares letters, notices, and reports; proofreads and cite-checks documents drafted by others. • Responds to inquiries from pro se litigants, attorneys, and others regarding cases. • Monitors the Special Counsel’s caseload and upcoming deadlines, prioritizes tasks, and provides other administrative support to the Special Counsel. • Maintains, updates, and tracks paper and electronic files; scans documents. • Maintains the list of attorneys who have volunteered to be appointed as amici curiae or pro bono counsel and list of current and past appointments. • Serves as a back-up to the Courtroom Deputy, performing the full range of courtroom duties. • Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: To qualify at the CL-23 level, an applicant must be a high school graduate or equivalent and have at least two years of general experience or one of the following educational accomplishments: • An associate's degree from an accredited school in a related legal field such as paralegal studies, pre-law, or criminal justice; • A bachelor's degree from an accredited school in a related legal field such as paralegal studies, pre-law, or criminal justice; or • A current paralegal certificate from an accredited provider. 

To qualify at the CL-24 or CL-25 level, an applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience or one of the educational accomplishments listed above. 

A bachelor’s degree is preferred. General experience consists of progressively responsible administrative, office, or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the position’s duties. Specialized experience consists of progressively responsible experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical or administrative procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws and involve the routine use of specialized terminology and automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry, or report generation. Such experience is encountered in law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or human resources/payroll operations. 

The successful applicant must be able to work with minimal supervision while maintaining a high level of productivity. Good judgment, the ability to apply concepts to determine what action needs to be taken, strong oral and written communication skills, and careful proofreading skills are essential.

REQUIREMENTS: • The responsibilities for this position require the employee to be on-site daily. • All positions in the Clerk's Office are “Excepted” appointments. Employees are considered “at will” and will serve a one-year probationary period. • Employees must adhere to the Code of Conduct. Employees are subject to strict confidentiality requirements. • The successful candidate is also subject to a background check and will be considered a provisional employee pending a favorable suitability determination. • Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work for the United States government. 

BENEFITS: Visit www.uscourts.gov/careers for benefits with the Federal Judiciary. 

TO APPLY: Email a cover letter and resume, as a single PDF attachment (Attention: Human Resources) to VacancyParalegal@cadc.uscourts.gov.

Please include the vacancy announcement number (USCA-24-04) in the subject line. Interviews will begin immediately. The court will send a letter regarding the status of an application only to those candidates scheduled for interviews. When the position is filled, a notice will be placed on the court’s internet site.