You will serve as a Paralegal Specialist the Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG), Commander Naval Legal Services, Tort Claims Unit which is responsible for the administration and supervision of all claims functions within the Department of the Navy (DON), including all non-commercial tort and property loss claims. The duty station is Norfolk, VA. This a Term appointment NTE 4 years. See "Additional Information" regarding extensions and conversion.

Duties

You will independently research case law, administrative law, federal and state statutes, and other regulations, directives, notices, and manuals You will conduct substantive legal research and selects relevant material for claims attorneys You will review each claim to ensure it is legally sufficient under applicable statutes and regulations and, in the event additional investigation or information is required, and initiate actions to obtain the necessary information You will process and adjudicate, in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations, all assigned claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Military Claims Act, Foreign Claims Act, and other statues and regulations You will screen each claim when received, evaluate the adequacy of the Navy’s investigation, and determine whether further investigation is necessary You will negotiate with attorneys, insurance adjusters, and claimants; appraises property damage, and evaluates settlement value without jeopardizing the interests of the United States You will act as research and review assistant for claims attorneys, providing detailed legal research services in complex areas of tort law You will analyzes issues received from claims attorneys to formulate appropriate queries for computerized legal databases, e.g., Lexis You will be required to communicate effectively with a variety of people in different situations, including extremely sensitive and controversial situations that may include uncooperative and hostile people

Requirements

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
• New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final secret security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• You may be required to perform occasional travel

Qualifications

Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) or pay band in the federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector applying legal principles and concepts, legal research methods, and data analysis techniques to perform recurring assignments typically covered by established precedents to perform the following: 1) Researching case law, administrative law, federal and state statutes, and other regulations, directives, notices, and manuals 2) Conducting substantive legal research using electronic or computerized databases (e.g. CYBERFEDS, LEXIS) and selecting relevant material for claims attorneys in the area of tort law 3) Reviewing claims to ensure it is legal sufficiency under applicable statutes and regulations and, in the event additional investigation or information is required, and initiate actions to obtain the necessary information. 4) Screening tort claims to evaluate the adequacy of the investigation, and determine whether further investigation is necessary. 5) Negotiating with attorneys, insurance adjusters, and claimants; appraises property damage, and evaluates settlement value without jeopardizing the interests of your client, agency, or firm 6) Creating, reviewing, routing, and tracking correspondence and records using databases and office software You may also qualify using education to substitute for specialized experience. See the "Education" section of this announcement for details. Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0900/paralegal-specialist-series-0950/

Education

In lieu of specialized experience, you may qualify with the following education or combination of both education and experience:
Completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree.
OR
Completed two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree.
OR
Obtained an LL.B. or J.D. that is related to the position being filled.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if qualifying using education. See Required Documents for additional information.

Contacts

• Address NLSC 1322 Patterson Ave Suite 3000 Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374 US
• Name: Department of Navy EIC
• Email: [email protected]