About the Position: This position is located within the US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, Office of Counsel where you will function as a Paralegal Specialist exercising discretion and independent judgment in the application of laws, regulations, precedents, and agency practices and assist attorneys in case preparation.

Duties

Assists in preparation of litigation cases, assists with discovery, prepares litigation memorandums. Provides legal research assistance to attorneys and assists with review of bonds, Requests for Service Contract Approvals, and other contract claims matters. Performs a variety of administrative and office support functions. Functions as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) paralegal, ensures timely input, reviews requests, implements change and responsible for preparing annual FOIA report. Functions as claims paralegal, investigating actual and potential claims against the Government.

Requirements

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. For GS-07: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing paralegal or legal work, applying a basic knowledge of legal research and the ability to interpret legal decisions; drafting a variety of legal documents and correspondences; assisting with preparation of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request responses; assisting with Tort Claims and/or maintaining a Tort Claims journal; assisting in trial preparation by compiling, organizing and indexing various evidentiary exhibits; utilizing various computerized database programs to organize documents. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). OR One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on: (1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR (2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR (3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). OR A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. For GS-09: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes examining and processing a variety of legal documents; processing requests under information disclosure statutes such as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and or Privacy Act (PA) requests; drafting briefs, pleadings, litigation recommendations, or other legal documents and correspondence; using a variety of electronic or manual filing systems to acquire and store information; document findings and preparing recommendations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR A 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 a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. For GS-11: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes performing duties as a legal specialist such as assisting attorneys in preparation of cases; researching and analyzing legal issues such as environmental law and contract claims and appeals; utilizing traditional research resources such as Westlaw, Lexis, Juris or CEALS; performing legal activities gathering and analyzing data to resolve legal issues; and researching and reviewing legal references, case files, and other sources for information and data required by attorneys or court personnel. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR A Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M.] in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Administration and ManagementAdministrative LawTechnical Competence

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address RE-W2SM01 US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-HUNTINGTON DO NOT MAIL Huntington, WV 25701 US
• Name: Army Applicant Help Desk