Summary This position is located at Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel. This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement 26-HUD-12993019. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply. Responsibilities HUD's Mission The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is to foster strong communities by supporting access to quality, affordable housing, expanding the housing supply, and unlocking homeownership opportunities for the American people. The Department is committed to furthering the promise of self-sufficiency in every American while promoting economic development to revitalize rural, tribal, and urban communities across the country. This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Deputy General Counsel for Fair Housing, Litigation and Enforcement (FHLE), Office of Fair Housing. OGC is the chief legal office of the Department, the principal legal adviser to the Secretary and staff of HUD, and the head of the Departmental Enforcement Center. OGC provides legal opinions, advice, and services with respect to all Departmental programs and activities, and assists in the development of HUD programs and policies. OGC also provides functional legal counsel on defensive and affirmative litigation and the development of legislation and regulations. The Deputy General Counsel for Fair Housing, Litigation and Enforcement (FHLE), Office of Fair Housing provides effective and comprehensive legal advice and services in connection with the administration and enforcement of civil rights and fair housing authorities, including the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). These include laws administered by HUD and those that apply to HUD's programs and activities. As a/an Paralegal Specialist (Fair Housing and Civil Rights), you will: - Read, edit, draft, and analyze documents, conduct legal and nonlegal research, review and proofread documents, check citations in briefs and clearance documents, prepare tables of authorities, attend meetings on behalf of and with the Associate General Counsel, and provide reports regarding such meetings. - Conduct independent research on and interprets new developments from case law, regulations, legislation, precedential cases, and legal opinions relating to all areas of work in the office and devise effective ways to communicate and summarize relevant changes to legal requirements and other information to the Associate General Counsel in order to inform decision making and resolution of contentious issues. - Prepare drafts of letters and legal memoranda, review clearance documents to identify basic, complex, and cross-cutting legal issues and prepares draft concurring and non-concurring comments. - Assist with the overall work of the office, including fair housing and civil rights matters, creating, maintaining, and organizing files on behalf of the Associate General Counsel, assisting the Associate General Counsel and OFH attorneys. - Analyze legal documents, including complaints, affidavits, depositions, pleadings, motions, memoranda, regulations, and legislation, and any other policy and legal documents necessary for conducting the work of the office. - Serve as a reader and paralegal specialist to the Associate General Counsel who is a blind attorney executive, including by reading complex and lengthy legal documents aloud and interacting with legal and administrative systems on behalf of the Associate General Counsel. Requirements Conditions of Employment The official duty station for this position will be in Alexandria, Virginia. Failure to report to duty at this location may be grounds for a disciplinary action, including removal. Key Requirements: Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. A one year probationary period may be required. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period. Must successfully complete a background investigation. Public Trust - Background Investigation will be required. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form i-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Please refer to "Additional Information Section for additional Conditions of Employment." Qualifications You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Specialized Experience: For the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: - Experience regularly performing independent legal research, analysis, and writing relating to fair housing, civil rights, or the Violence Against Women Act; OR - Experience regularly performing independent legal research, analysis, writing, and substantive legal support functions that require a specialized knowledge of fair housing, civil rights, public benefits, disability law, housing programs, including federal or state case law, regulations, statutes and legislative histories, agency policies and practices, law reviews, or administrative and judicial proceedings; OR - Experience drafting and reviewing investigative materials, complaints, letters, legal opinions or determinations, factual findings, legal and policy memoranda; OR - Experience preparing detailed factual summaries and written analyses of facts in investigation, litigation, or benefit determinations under a Federal or state law or regulations that prohibit discrimination, prohibit domestic violence, or establish eligibility requirements for a benefit provided under Federal or State law, such as Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, public housing or another program for low income persons, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or a comparable Federal, State, or local government program. The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume. Education Additional Information OTHER INFORMATION: We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation incentive will not be paid. Recruitment incentive will not be paid. This is a non-bargaining unit position. This position is Non-Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). HUD offers alternative and flexible work schedules. This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies for similar positions across HUD. During the online application process, you will be asked to specify if you would like your application information shared with other hiring managers in the Program Office listed in this announcement or in other HUD Program Offices. Opting to share your application information will not impact your application for this announcement, nor will it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED): HUD employees are subject to a number of government-wide and HUD specific ethics laws and regulations, including restrictions on working in a real estate related business, and having Section 8 tenants, along with other prohibited interests and activities. To review applicable ethics rules and HUD specific restrictions, please visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program\offices/general\counsel/ethics. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 a Reasonable Accommodation, 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
