Collections Paralegal Supporting the USAO

FSA; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

FSA Federal (FSA) in Phoenix seeks a Paralegal / Legal Assistant III to support the United States Attorney's Office. You will assist attorneys with case material, discovery, and pretrial preparation in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities include reviewing materials, preparing briefs, organizing exhibits, and coordinating with federal agents. Strong research and drafting skills are essential. This role requires U.S. citizenship and a background investigation.

Qualifications

• Paralegal certificate or 1+ year paralegal/legal assistance experience; or HS diploma/GED with 3+ years paralegal experience
• Collections experience, ideally judicial collections including judgment enforcement
• One year of automated litigation support experience with knowledge of the capabilities and use of automated resources and technology for federal cases
• Knowledge of applicable laws, policies, and procedures and trial experience preferred
• Knowledge of legal research methods and analysis to perform case development and documentation
• Excellent oral and written communication, including legal writing skills
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and databases
• Proven commitment to customer service; ability to multi-task and work under pressure

Responsibilities

• Assists attorney in reviewing case material and preparing a digest of decisions with legal references.
• Receives, examines, and evaluates new and complex cases against standards.
• Assists in determining probable cause by reviewing investigations and planning evidence gathering.
• Researches facts and laws using public records and databases; interviews agents and officers.
• Assists in pretrial discovery by preparing, reviewing, and organizing discovery and witness summaries.
• Prepares documents for settlement or disposition and supports attorneys in filings.
• Prepares legal pleadings, motions, papers, and proposed orders.
• Organizes files, documents, and indexing exhibits.
• Summarizes documents and proceedings to aid attorneys; prepares trial exhibits.
• Uses databases to extrapolate data for reports and charts; provides training as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Paralegal experience

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking

Legal writing

Teamwork

Legal research

Trial experience

Customer service mindset

Education

Paralegal certificate

High school diploma/GED + 3 years paralegal experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Databases

Job description

Be a part of the nationwide law enforcement initiative that removes the tools of crime from criminal organizations, depriving wrongdoers of proceeds from their crime and impacting the infrastructure of criminal enterprises.

FSA Federal (FSA) is focused on delivering unsurpassed services in support of law enforcement and homeland security. We currently have a vacancy for a Paralegal / Legal Assistant III. In this role, you will be supporting the overall mission of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO).

Responsibilities

• Assists attorney in reviewing case material to include gathering and analyzing case material and preparing a digest of selected decisions/opinions, including legal references. May provide Legal Clerk/Paralegal II review.
• Receives, examines, and evaluates new and complex cases with reference to the facts of the case and established standards.
• Assists in determining probable cause by reviewing investigative reports, establishing the need for further evidence and information, and planning a comprehensive approach to obtaining that information and evidence. Advises attorneys of the strengths and weaknesses of probable cause and potential defenses.
• Investigates facts and laws of cases and searches public records and other resources to prepare cases and determine causes of action by using a variety of legal research tools, public information databases, and other automated resources. Interviews federal agents and other law enforcement officers regarding the probable cause and the availability of evidence and witnesses.
• Assists attorney in pretrial preparations by preparing, reviewing, and organizing discovery; notifying, interviewing, and preparing summaries; and managing witnesses.
• Assists attorney in convincing the affected individuals of the correctness of the legal position and appropriateness of the settlement. Also prepares documents for settlement or disposition.
• Prepares legal pleadings, motions, papers, and proposed orders.
• Organizes and manages files, documents, and indexing exhibits.
• Summarizes documents and proceedings, including depositions, interrogatories, and testimony to assist attorneys.
• Uses various databases and programs to extrapolate data for reports, charts, graphs, and trial exhibits.
• Provides training to other personnel as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Paralegal Certificate with at least one-year paralegal/legal assistance experience; or High School Diploma/GED with at least three-years' paralegal experience
• Collections experience, ideally judicial collections including judgment enforcement, strongly preferred
• One year of automated litigation support experience with knowledge of the capabilities and use of automated resources and technology for the development, presentation, and prosecution of federal cases
• Knowledge of applicable laws, policies, and procedures and trial experience preferred
• Knowledge of the principles, concepts, and methods of legal research and analysis sufficient to perform case development and documentation assignments which are typically covered by established precedents
• Excellent communication skills; oral and written, to include legal writing skills
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills
• Experience with the Microsoft Office suite of applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and other common software applications, to include databases
• Proven commitment and expertise to provide excellent customer service; positive and flexible; ability to multi-task
• Ability to work in a team environment, deliver the highest quality of work, and maintain a professional disposition under extreme pressure

This position requires U.S. Citizenship and a 7 (or 10) year minimum background investigation.

Agency Overview

The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) serves as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The Financial Litigation Unit (FLU) at the USAO is charged with enforcing and collecting criminal and civil debts owed to the United States. FLU's primary mission is to enforce criminal restitution judgments to ensure victims of crime are made whole. Civil recoveries are generally from delinquent student loans and small business loans, environmental penalties, bankruptcy judgments, and civil fraud prosecutions and penalties.

Benefits Overview

At FSA Federal, we recognize the diverse needs of our employees and strive to provide an excellent package to help meet those needs. Comprehensive benefits are offered with greater choice and flexibility to support your health, work-life balance, and professional growth. A package providing employee only coverage can be built around our basic plans at $0 employee cost for: Medical, Dental, Vision, Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Employee Assistance Program. For more information, click here.

This position is not currently approved for telework and requires work to be performed onsite

EEO and Important Policy Statements:

Consistent with our goal of empowering people, FSA Federal is committed to providing all employees and employment candidates the right to equal employment opportunities and a harassment-free work environment free from retaliation. FSA's employment practices are based on an individual's capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all policies and procedures including recruitment and hiring, promotions, transfers, and terminations, as well as compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. Our long-term success depends upon our ability to attract, retain, and develop a workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to support the vital missions of our customers.

FSA Federal is proud to maintain a drug-free workplace. Satisfactory completion of a post-offer drug screening is a condition of employment. As a supplier of services to federal government agencies, such as DEA, FBI, USCIS, USPIS, etc., we also adhere to agency standards with respect to prior drug usage.