West 4th Strategy

Paralegal

Houston, TX
Full Time
Experienced
Paralegal
ROLE
We need an experienced Paralegal at Naval Medical Forces Development Command (NMFDC), located at JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas. NMFDC is an Echelon III command of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), delivering professional, occupational, and operational education and training solutions to support Navy Medicine's readiness mission. In this role, you will provide comprehensive paralegal, analytical, and legal administrative support to the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) and force paralegal, supporting military justice, administrative law, FOIA, investigations, and legal assistance missions. This is a full-time, on-site opportunity. We can offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Apply today!
RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Conduct complex legal research using electronic sources and government databases to obtain information critical to legal actions. Keep current on administrative guidance, regulations, and laws affecting policy. Draft legal memoranda, briefs, and routine legal correspondence.
  • Maintain a records management system within the share drive and physically in the legal office in accordance with Navy and federal regulations. Prepare, update, and verify all attorney work products, correspondence, and case updates in the legal tracker on a daily basis. Coordinate with JAG/paralegal staff on timelines, deadlines, filing, and status updates across 20 to 30 active items.
  • Process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act requests. Redact documents in accordance with DoD policies and federal law. Review and prepare cases for administrative separation of active-duty service members. Assist the Government representative in preparation for Administrative Separation Boards including gathering evidence, contacting witnesses, and reviewing service records. Screen outside employment requests, gift acceptance memos, and travel reviews for compliance with the Joint Ethics Regulation (JER).
  • Oversee investigations as directed by the Commander involving complex and sensitive issues including allegations of misconduct, mismanagement of resources, sexual offenses, discrimination, reprisal, congressional inquiries, and Inspector General (IG) complaints. Draft appointment letters, assemble investigative exhibits, perform preliminary legal sufficiency reviews, and coordinate with NCIS and other agencies.
  • Assist in preparing for Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP). Advise command leadership on NJP procedural requirements, draft initial specifications of misconduct, and compile investigation packages. Ensure accused Sailors are briefed on Article 31(b) rights. Draft official reports of Mast proceedings, process appeals, and coordinate with personnel on punitive reductions. Maintain familiarity with the UCMJ and the Manual of the Judge Advocate General (JAGMAN).
  • Serve as Victim Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) Manager. Provide training to NMFDC and subordinate commands, ensure compliance with program directives, and compile required reporting data for BUMED. Complete required VWAP training upon onboarding.
  • Attend continuous DOD and command-required training and maintain familiarity with governing instructions related to administrative, privacy, ethical, and legal matters.
  • Collect and consolidate administrative data required for legal briefings. Develop spreadsheets, presentations, and briefings using Microsoft Office and PDF tools.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
  • Minimum of 3 to 5 years of professional paralegal experience.
  • Prior experience in a military justice (UCMJ) or federal legal environment is highly preferred.
  • Practical knowledge of the UCMJ, Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM), and standard DoD administrative regulations.
  • Experience managing cases involving classified materials or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Teams, Adobe Pro, and SharePoint.
  • Familiarity with or ability to quickly learn Navy-specific systems including:
    • Total Workforce Management System (TWMS)
    • Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS)
    • Enterprise Task Management Software Solution (ETMS2)
    • Command and Control Official Information Exchange (OIX)
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact professionally with senior military and civilian personnel including the Commander, Deputy Commander, and Chiefs of Staff.
EDUCATION
  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies — required
  • Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program — not required but highly recommended
LOCATION
  • Naval Medical Forces Development Command, 4075 Dickman Rd, Bldg 1001, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-7759
  • On-site required; no telework available
CLEARANCE
  • No clearance required
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
CLIENT
  • Naval Medical Forces Development Command (NMFDC), Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
  • Base: 23 September 2026 to 22 September 2027
  • Option I: 23 September 2027 to 22 September 2028
  • Option II: 23 September 2028 to 22 September 2029
HOURS
  • 40 hours per week
  • 8 hours per day
EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION
  • Employment Classification Eligibility — W2
RELOCATION
  • Not eligible for relocation benefits
COMPENSATION
  • Base Hourly Wage: $43.42 per hour
  • Health & Welfare (Benefits rate): $5.09 per hour
  • Total Hourly Compensation: $48.51 per hour
  • Benefits: Health & Welfare benefits contribution as required under the Service Contract Act (SCA); Benefits package includes options for health, dental and vision insurance coverage
West 4th Strategy is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, pregnancy, political affiliation, military or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law.

Other Considerations: This position is W-2 only; no Corp-to-Corp or 1099 candidates. Relocation will not be offered. This position requires access to Department of Justice facilities and systems. As a condition of employment, selected candidates must complete and receive favorable adjudication from a federal government background investigation as required by the U.S. Department of Justice. Individual’s primary workstation is located in an office area. The noise level in this environment is low to moderate. Regularly required to sit for extended periods up to 80% of the time; frequently required to move about to access file cabinets and use office equipment such as PC, copier, fax, telephone, cell phone, etc. Occasionally required to reach overhead, bend, and lift objects of up to 10 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the use of computer monitor screens up to 80% of the time.
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