Paralegal Specialist

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Trade, Regulations and Rulings, located in Washington, DC.

Additional selections may be made for other organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

This announcement has been amended on 3/31/2026 to extend the closing date to 4/19/2026.

Qualifications:

Experience: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Researching and drafting administrative rulings and decisions, assembling all relevant records and data relevant to that decision, and coordinating with other stakeholders as needed.
• Reviewing, analyzing, and recommending appropriate responses in administrative cases using/applying the appropriate rules, regulations, and case law.
• Identifying and supporting the office caseload and processing needs to determine that all information that may have an effect on case processing is made available to office personnel.
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating complex programs, policies and procedures within the functional areas of the office.
• Organizing and managing a high volume of case records, supporting documentation, correspondence, and legal reference materials.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet these requirements, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must:

• Meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process; and
• Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 04/19/2026.

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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers

Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:

• Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
• A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
• Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
• Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government

Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.

Responsibilities:

The CBP Office of Trade is the architect of the most robust customs system in the world and CBP is the second largest revenue source for the U.S. Government. We facilitate legitimate trade, enforce U.S. laws, and protect the American economy as well as consumer health and safety. Collaborating with industry and government partners, we create a fair, competitive, and safe trade environment, and we enforce U.S. trade law to protect national economic security. Our expertise in the trade community allows us to lead the development of streamlined and efficient processes that provide certainty for legitimate importers, while combatting transnational crime.

This position starts at a salary of $102,415.00 (GS-12, Step 1) to $133,142.00 (GS-12, Step 10).

GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position.Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide comprehensive administrative and clerical support for all paralegal functions assisting attorney-advisors. Typical duties include:

• Conducting research and drafting a variety of administrative rulings and decisions, assembling all relevant records and data relevant to that decision, and contacting representatives of the requester and appropriate CBP offices as needed.
• Responding to document requests under, among other things, the Freedom of Information Act, congressional inquiries, and, by consulting the appropriate rules, regulations, and case law to analyze the request.
• Identifying, recommending, and implementing a wide variety of recordkeeping systems and databases, and reviewing analyzes and recommending appropriate responses in administrative cases.
• Supporting the office caseload and processing needs to determine that all information that may have an effect on current cases is made available to office personnel.
• Organizing and managing a high volume of case records, supporting documentation (e.g., contracts, invoices and other commercial data) correspondence and legal reference materials.

Salary : $102,415