Paralegal Specialist

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) serves as legal advisor to the CFTC's Commission, the Chair, the Executive Director, and the Agency as a whole. OGC's legal advice includes, but is not limited to, areas such as Agency litigation, statutory and regulatory interpretation, rulemaking, analyses of proposed legislation, and other legal issues arising in connection with the administration and enforcement of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA).

This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Litigation Branch in Washington, DC. The Litigation, Adjudication, and Enforcement Branch represents the Commission in the U.S. District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts, Courts of Appeals, and various administrative bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, and Federal Service Impasses Panel. As a Paralegal Specialist, the incumbent is primarily responsible for assisting attorneys in the Litigation, Adjudication, and Enforcement Branch. Typical duties include: Assists attorneys in the preparation of court filings by verifying and checking legal citations (cite-checking) and legal references in prepared legal documents and preparing tables of contents and authorities. Proofreads briefs, pleadings, memoranda, opinions and other documents; drafts legal instruments such as certificates of service, transmittal letters and cover memoranda. Contracts with outside vendors for copying and binding of legal briefs and appendices. Arranges timely delivery of legal documents to courts and tribunals. Utilizes data management and litigation support systems (i.e. Practice Manager, Relativity, Case Map, Pacer, and Lexis and Westlaw) to locate, organize and categorize exhibits, appendices, administrative records and other documents as needed for court filings. Utilizes OGC's Elaw case management system to review, store, index, and search electronic copies of documents obtained in the course of investigations and litigation. Maintains case files and corrects file deficiencies or discrepancies. Independently reviews case files maintained in hard copy to determine which files are eligible to be retired to off-side document storage area; prepares files; and supervises the preparation of files for retirement to off-site storage facilities. Performs legal research or retrieval of legislative history, precedent cases, decisions, and opinions, regulations, policies, procedures, case law, Internet sites, etc., to provide assistance to staff attorneys in the development of legal matters. Ensures that records are accurate, and readily available for staff to use during their investigations and litigation. As needed and available, assists other units of OGC by researching and analyzing legal issues; assuring accuracy and consistency in legal documents prepared by the office, cite checking and proofreading briefs, pleadings, memoranda, opinions and other documents; drafting legal instruments such as certificates of service, transmittal letters and cover memoranda. Performs other duties as assigned.