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Summary This position is located at Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel. This opportunity is also open to Status eligibles under announcement 24-HUD-1658. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply. Responsibilities The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position. As a/an Paralegal Specialist, you will: Perform a comprehensive range of legal duties which involve legal research, analysis, and evaluation; as well as support in the areas of legal document review or preparation, correspondence control, preparation and processing of documents and records releases, exhibits and report preparations, and responses to litigation and inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Perform substantive independent legal research, analysis, and evaluation, which requires detailed knowledge of a diverse combination of case law, government policies, federal regulations, legal texts, legislative history, and state and federal statutes. Analyze and evaluate factual and legal evidence and questions related to relevant cases and actions. Use a broad spectrum of legal resources, including computer databases and traditional methods. Coordinate scheduling, reviews documents, and participate in closings involving Insured Housing programs. The paralegal specialist is part of the review team for real estate transactions and is responsible for compliance with closing checklists, including accuracy of Note and mortgage amounts, accuracy of title, survey, and legal descriptions, and other essential requirements of HUD transactions. Assist with other HUD program matters, including but not limited to, Assisted Housing and Community Planning and Development matters, and assist in resolving single-family real estate owned issues and handling single-family foreclosures and bankruptcy matters. Requirements Conditions of Employment The official duty station for this position will be in Denver, Colorado. 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. Must successfully complete a background investigation. 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. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. 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: -Work experience where the applicant has regularly performed legal research and prepared necessary documentation in the course of real estate closings, real estate transactions, foreclosures, litigation, or other HUD Program areas and analyzes relevant statutes, regulations, and case law using on-line resources such as Westlaw/Lexis. Specialized Experience: For the GS-11 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: - Work experience where the applicant has regularly performed legal research and prepared necessary documentation in the course of real estate closings, real estate transactions, foreclosures, or other housing areas and/or responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, OR LL.M. if related, in an accredited college or university that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR A combination of education and experience. Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience. Specialized Experience: For the GS-09 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: - Experience where the applicant performed legal research and prepared necessary documentation in support of legal recommendations and/or responses to legal proceedings, contracts, foreclosures, or real estate closings. OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B or J.D. in an accredited college or university that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR A combination of education and experience. Only graduate level education in excess of 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience. 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 The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions. 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 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.