Paralegal Specialist

• Incumbent serves as the Paralegal Specialist, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act Officer, and Law Office Manager in the Tulsa District, Office of Counsel (SWT-OC)
• Perform substantive detailed, complex, and independent legal research in complex material (statutes, regulations, case law, etc.), in support of the District Counsel, Deputy District Counsel, or any one of eight Assistant District Counsels.
• Frequently works on his/her own initiative to develop innovative solutions to difficult legal problems. Uses a broad spectrum of legal resources, including computer databases and traditional research methods.
• Assist attorneys in connection with investigations of actual or potential claims, including those by and against the Government, as permitted by the Federal Tort Claims Act and the Contract Disputes Act.
• Draft a wide array of legal documents and filings for the Corps or Department of Justice (DOJ) in all types of litigation.
• Select, prepare, identify, mark, and compile exhibits, including visual aids, and provide exhibits to the parties and Judge.
• Evaluate the applicability of FOIA exemptions under frequently abstruse or incomplete case law or DOJ guidelines, and develop legal analysis supporting recommended denials for submission to the Initial Denial Authority (IDA).
• Assist the District Counsel or designee with the management and the development of the Office of Counsel budget, administrative personnel program, and training program.
• Give advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.

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

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the 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.

Specialized Experience:

One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) collecting, independently reviewing and processing large and complex volumes of documents, applying laws and regulations related to document processing, such as Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); AND 2) assisting attorneys in preparing legal documents and independently drafting legal documents (including independent legal research and fact gathering); AND 3) experience with Adobe, word processing and spreadsheets, legal matter tracking systems, and legal research systems (such as Westlaw and Lexis); AND 4) assisting in management of, and budgeting for, an office of professionals. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).