PARALEGAL SPECIALIST

Full Job Description

This is a Washington National Guard Title 5 Excepted Service Technician position: PARALEGAL SPECIALIST Location: 194th Wing Camp Murray, Washington 98430 Air National Guard Units Appointment Type: Temporary, Indefinite, excepted service Advertised as: Title 5 May be used to fill one or more vacancies.

*Ensure you read this announcement in its entirety, complete all application requirements, and your USA Jobs profile name is accurate* GENERAL EXPERIENCE: Experience, education or training that demonstrates the ability to analyze the legal impact of legislative developments and administrate and judicial decisions, opinions, rulings and determinations on agency programs; conduct research for the preparation of legal opinions on matters of interest to the agency.

Practical knowledge and use of basic legal principles and concepts to interpret and apply or explain to others the application of a body of law, regulations, precedents, and practices covering one or more recurring types of legal actions encountered in an agency.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Must have at least 36 months experience or 1-year specialized experience, education, or training equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the formal and informal rules of evidence and skill necessary to evaluate the adequacy and/or admissibility of evidence, to request additional data or further investigation, when needed, or to develop narrative or graphic exhibits to support specified legal arguments and coordinate actions with other federal agencies or state and local jurisdictions that have closely related responsibilities.

***Note: If this vacancy announcement indicates Specialized Experience, "1 year equivalent to at least next lower grade level", you must provide your last SF 50, if you are a current or former Federal Employee and you want to be considered under this provision.

Major Duties:

A GS-0950-11, PARALEGAL SPECIALIST: Advises the Staff Judge Advocate on all command issues on behalf of command staff, researching interpretation of federal/state statutes and regulations, and ensuring that legal guidance and support is furnished in a timely manner.

Advises Wing leadership on options, which are legally permissible, or desirable, after consultation with the SJA.

Prepares, researches, and drafts written legal opinions after SJA review with regard to applicable laws, regulations, instructions, directives, and policies in the area of Administrative Law including, but not limited to: Reports of Survey; Line of Duty Determinations; formal and informal investigations and commander inquiries; legal sufficiency reviews; Inspector General and Equal Employment Opportunity investigations; fiscal law; unfavorable personnel actions; standards of conduct; family advocacy; and public relations.

Supports and assist with CDI investigations, reports and briefings. Conducts classes and training for commanders and unit members.

Represents the SJA and Wing Commander on legal committees, working groups, and inter-disciplinary teams as well as legal conferences and meetings Provides legal assistance on a non-interference basis to members of the ANG and their dependents as authorized by AFI 51-504, CNGBI, NGR, and other AF/JA guidance.

In line with professional responsibility standards, legal assistance with respect to the following legal matters may be provided to eligible beneficiaries with the supervision of the SJA, or draft opinions/documents for the SJA to execute thereof: wills, powers of attorney, living wills and health care directives, notary services, dependent care plans, casualty affairs (death incident to the performance of military duty), employment problems arising from the performance of military duty and subject to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) or a similar state statute, land-lord tenant problems specifically related to performance of military duty, tax problems specifically related to performance of military duty, matters arising from the performance of military duty and subject to the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA), or a similar state statute, providing Special Victim's Counsel (SVC) services, or area defense counsel services, when necessary.

Provides deployment legal assistance to ensure personal legal readiness of military members; participates in deployment readiness exercises, mobility lines, and Yellow Ribbon events.

Prepares preventative law articles and products for publication and distribution and delivers preventative law briefings.

Maintains currency in applicable law and completes education and training requirements, as detailed in AFI 51-504, CNGBI, NGR, and other AF/JA guidance.

Provides research, analysis, guidance, and support to administer courts-martial, non-judicial punishment, administrative boards and other legal actions and administrative processes.

Reviews procedures, timing criteria and documents relative to the administration of justice under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and associated state/territory code.

Performs research to identify factual and legal issues to uncover relevant information for summaries of precedent cases, interviews, testimony, depositions, and related case material for use by the attorneys.

Performs research and preparation of notes and memoranda regarding allegations and possible charges, maintains logs and files, and files motions.

Prepares and files charge sheets, disposition sheets, and other records. Maintains transcript files and exhibits.

Provides assistance to serviced units concerning the administrative preparation, coordination, and implementation of documents regarding military justice.

Reviews changes in regulations on the Freedom of Information Act & updates & advises other legal personnel & field staff of changes.

Consults & assists in formulation of NGB regulations regarding the release of information. Reviews Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Analyzes specific criteria & conducts required research for the information requested & coordinates with organization's functional managers for release of appropriate information.

Provides summaries & rationale to the FOIA Officer to determine appropriate action for non-releasable information. Ensures necessary documents are prepared for release & assesses fees.

Maintains statistics for annual reporting requirements & tracks collections for FOIA fees.

Accepts complaints, summons, documents, or inquiries; identifies the type or purpose; screens for completeness; & identifies the action to be performed.

As required by the action, performs preliminary investigation & gathers pertinent information, researches legal & factual issues, interviews claimant, involved parties and potential witnesses and builds case files, & recommends disposition of claim.

Other duties as assigned.