This Pathways Internship appointment located in the Division of Federal Employees' and Energy Workers Compensation (FEEWC), a national office division in the Office of the Solicitor. The Division is responsible for providing legal services to the Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP) in connection with workers' compensation claims under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA), and related statues.

Duties

Incumbent serves as a paralegal specialist in the FEEWC Division and is responsible for his or her own personal case load of subrogation matters. The FEEWC Division is responsible for thousands of cases referred to FEEWC by OWCP in order to determine whether FECA claimants should be required to seek damages from third parties potentially liable for FECA-covered injuries and illnesses and for monitoring any litigation seeking such damages. Incumbents make initial case analysis to determine that sufficient evidence exists to indicate third-party liability involving the injury or death of a Federal employee or other covered beneficiary. Incumbent also determines advisability of instituting proceedings against a third party given both the past and projected future expenditures of Government funds and the probable cost of securing a recovery. Incumbent provides assistance in the development of the third-party claim by offering assistance to private attorneys and employees, providing copies of relevant documents from the employee's OWCP case file, and by explaining obligations imposed by the subrogation provisions of the FECA. For employees who are negotiating settlements without the assistance of a private attorney, incumbent advises employees of the applicable statute of limitations to their cause of action as well as how to present a claim. Incumbent also counsels employees to seek private counsel, if deemed appropriate. Incumbent drafts a variety of legal correspondence concerning application of the subrogation provisions of the FECA and the calculation of the Government's statutory right of reimbursement for disbursements made in accordance with the provisions of the FECA. This position is inside the bargaining unit. The advancement of Interns to higher-graded positions, prior to conversion, is strictly at the agency's discretion. To qualify for promotions, the Interns must have the same level and type of experience and/or education usually required for an initial appointment. The entire duration of the Student Intern Pathway Student Appointment constitutes a trial period.

Requirements

• Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a trial period for the duration of the Internship.
• Appointees must sign a DOL pathways Program Participant agreement.
• Must be enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution at the time of appointment and must maintain such enrollment throughout the duration of the appointment.
• Must be in good academic standing as defined by the agency as 2.0 GPA or higher.

Qualifications

To be eligible for the DOL Pathways - Internship Program, an individual must be enrolled and seeking a degree (e.g. diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution/program on a full or half-time basis for current semester. Additional proof of enrollment for the upcoming semester will be required before a final job offer can be extended. Click here for a definition of a qualifying education institution/program. Applicants for this position must meet the definition of a CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENT as outlined throughout this announcement. If you do not meet this definition, you will not be considered. Must Possess and maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher on the unweighted 4.0 scale. GPA is based on current enrollment. Applicants who graduate from their degree seeking programs in the current semester can be considered for internships only if they are enrolled and/or accepted for enrollment in the upcoming semester in a proceeding degree seeking program. For GS-7: Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education; or Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor's degree. One full academic year of undergraduate; graduate; vocational; trades; technical or high school education is the number of credit hours determined by the college, university, or school to represent 1 year of full-time study. The high school curriculum must be approved by a State or local governing body. All education beyond high school must be accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Qualifying specialized experience for GS-07 includes: One year of specialized work experience at the GS-05 level or equivalent. Specialized experience for this position includes: (1) knowledge of tort law and other legal references sufficient to gather and analyze data related to negligence issues; (2) utilize automated systems; (3) examine and analyze case files to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; (4) the ability to plan and organize work and communicate effectively orally and in writing. A student may be appointed to any position that leads to qualification in a two-grade interval professional, administrative, or technical occupational series and that provides an opportunity for the student's growth and development toward the target position.

Education

An academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in an accredited college or university.

You must submit an academic transcript from your academic institution showing the date that you most recently completed the academic requirements described above. See the Required Documents section of this announcement. If you do not submit a transcript indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Contacts

• Address Office of the Solicitor 200 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20210 US
• Name: Melanie West
• Phone: 202-693-0318
• Email: [email protected]