Paralegal Specialist

U.S. Coast Guard•Falling Waters, WV

15d•Onsite

About The Position

The Paralegal Specialist is a GS-0950-5/7/9 position with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, CG NVDC Recreational Vessel Documentation Division (NVDC-2), located in Falling Waters, West Virginia. The role supports vessel transactions across all geographical areas of the United States. The employee reviews and records transaction instruments, maintains records for public inspection, and issues documentation. Work may focus on commercial vessel documentation, recreational vessel documentation, or both.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
Must successfully pass a background investigation and obtain a public trust clearance.
Meet all qualification requirements by the announcement closing date.
Meet the time-in-grade requirement by the announcement closing date, if applicable.
For GS-5: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4 performing relevant work, or a four-year bachelor's degree in any field. Examples of experience include reviewing or analyzing applications for completeness and accuracy and preparing instruments such as abstracts of title and certificates of ownership.
For GS-7: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5, or one full year of graduate-level education, or superior academic achievement. Examples of experience include searching precedent decisions and regulatory materials to make determinations and reviewing application documentation to extract specified data.
For GS-9: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7, or a master's or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.B. or J.D. Examples of experience include determining actions and acceptable documentation to resolve issues, recording and indexing legal instruments, and reviewing applications and documentation for completeness and issuing completed certificates.
Federal salary payments must be made by direct deposit.
Current or former political appointees in specified Executive Branch positions within the last five years must disclose this information to the HR Office.

Responsibilities

Review and evaluate evidence for sufficiency, authenticity, and validity.
Determine actions needed to resolve issues and problems and identify acceptable documentation to ensure substantial compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Record and index legal instruments, including preferred and chattel mortgages, liens, assignments, and bills of sale.
Prepare Certificates of Documentation, forms, and legal instruments such as certificates of ownership, abstracts of title, and endorsements or satisfactions of mortgages.
Prepare correspondence explaining requirements for standard and nonstandard transactions, options available to applicants, or information needed to correct inadequate submissions.
Develop and complete documentation for a wide variety of cases and transactions.
Maintain records for public inspection and issue vessel documentation.