Senior Paralegal

Amentum company; Las Cruces (NM); On-site; USD 30,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

PTO and holidays

401(k) matching

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Employee stock purchase plan

Disability and life insurance

Pet insurance

Job summary

Amentum in the United States (Las Cruces, NM) seeks a Paralegal/Legal Assistant II to support Assistant United States Attorneys in the Criminal Division. The role involves preparing complex legal documents, compiling trial notebooks, and managing electronic case files.

You will perform legal research using Westlaw or Lexis, file documents via CM/ECF, and coordinate with investigators. Strong written and oral communication and ability to work under pressure are essential.

Qualifications

• MRPT credentials/authorization required; US citizenship required for MRPT at this location.
• Paralegal certificate or JD or currently in ABA-accredited law school (1L+).
• At least two years of litigation paralegal experience; trial exp helpful.
• Strong knowledge of federal/state court systems and legal research methods.
• Excellent written and oral communication; proficient with LEXIS/Westlaw.
• Proficient with MS Office, databases, and eDiscovery tools.
• Ability to produce high quality work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Prepare complex legal documents and review incoming material for AUS review.
• Assemble trial notebooks, exhibits, jury instructions, and witness lists.
• Coordinate with victim/witness staff and ensure compliance with guidelines.
• Research citations in Westlaw/Lexis; draft/edit legal briefs; file via CM/ECF.
• Assist with pre-trial conferences, identify deficiencies, and support investigations.
• Draft correspondence and manage electronic case files and calendars.
• Perform docketing, searches, and data analysis in case management systems.
• Prepare files for closing with all material properly executed.

Skills

Paralegal exp

Legal research

Drafting documents

Attention to detail

Education

Paralegal certificate

JD or ABA law school (1L)

Tools

Westlaw

LexisNexis

CM/ECF

Job description

The Contractor is responsible for directly providing a wide variety of technical assistant services and independently supporting Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) within the Criminal

Division. At this level, the Paralegal/Legal Assistant II exercises more independent judgment than at the level I position.

• Prepares a variety of technical legal documents that are characteristically complex in format. Reviews incoming documents and material, considers the nature and the status of the case involved, and with limited instructions from AUSAs prepares indictments, arrest warrants, summonses, true bills, motions, orders, non-disclosure applications and orders, stipulations, plea agreements, grand jury and trial subpoenas, and legal memoranda;
• Obtains required information from criminal case files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources, to include in legal documents before submitting to the appropriate AUSA for review. Ensures when preparing recurring legal documents that they conform to local court rules and the rules governing style and format.;
• Assists attorneys to prepare for trial by independently compiling trial and witness notebooks, preparing and organizing trial exhibits, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists. Coordinates with the victim/witness specialist to ensure adherence to current Departmental guidelines relating to victims’ rights and services responsibilities. Notifies case agents and appropriate office staff of victim/witness issues;
• Using original and online legal resources including Westlaw and/or Lexis/Nexis, verifies legal citations and statutory references contained in legal documents. Research to confirm that citations are accurate, complete, and consistent with source material. Proofreads, edits, and revises legal briefs. Electronically files legal documents with the U.S. District Court using the CM/ECF system;
• Participates in pre-trial witness conferences, notes possible deficiencies in case materials (e.g., missing documents, conflicting statements) and additional issues or other questionable matters, and requests further investigation by other agency personnel to correct possible deficiencies or personally conducts limited investigations at the pre-trial stage;
• Composes original correspondence which requires a good working knowledge of legal procedures and specialized terminology, e.g., transmitting proposed orders to court, requesting extensions of time in certain cases, advising of actions taken or developments in cases referred by other federal departments and agencies, and notifying attorneys representing defendants of various issues;
• Scans/inputs and links case-related materials into electronic discovery databases and manages those databases;
• Maintains the electronic case files, enters data in the case management system, calendars deadlines using MS Outlook, prepares and files conflict of interest and case opening forms in the electronic case file;
• Performs docketing duties which involves tracking case filings using the case management system. As necessary, performs searches, generates reports, and analyzes data produced from the case management system to determine case status and reconcile inconsistencies;
• Maintains the electronic case files, enters data in the case management system, calendars deadlines using MS Outlook, prepares and files conflict of interest and case opening forms in the electronic case file;
• Prepares files for closing by ensuring all correspondence, relevant pleadings, conflict of interest forms, investigative materials, discovery produced, grand jury materials, court and witness transcripts, and closing sheet are included in electronic case file and are appropriately executed by the assigned AUS.

Required Qualifications:

• Must be able to obtain and maintain MRPT facility credentials/authorization. Note: US Citizenship is required for MRPT facility credentials/authorization at this work location.
• Requires paralegal certificate, or JD, or currently attending an ABA-accredited law school, having completed at least one year of study.
• At least two years of litigation paralegal experience required; trial experience very helpful. At least one year of experience in automated litigation support.
• Requires sound working knowledge of federal and state court system, legal research procedures, and legal research resources.
• Requires excellent written and oral communication skills and thorough knowledge of legal research tools such as LEXIS and Westlaw.
• Must have hands‑on familiarity with a variety of computer applications, including word processing, databases (such as document review and file management systems), spreadsheets, imaging, and hardware systems.
• Role also requires hands‑on familiarity with ESI tools and knowledge of eDiscovery procedures and resources.
• Ability to consistently deliver highest quality work under extreme pressure will be very important.

*Employees will earn H&W dollars per eligible hour (including vacation and holiday up to 40 hours/week). H&W monies are used to offset the employer’s cost of benefits the employee elects into and/or utilizes. Any remaining health and welfare monies after all applicable deductions would be cashed out to the employee on a 1 pay period lag.

Service Contract Act (SCA) Compensation & Benefits:

This is an hourly, overtime-eligible position that falls under the Service Contract Act (SCA). In accordance with the Health and Welfare provisions of the SCA, and in addition to your base hourly rate, you may be eligible to receive an additional health and welfare payment for each hour you work to ensure compliance with the minimums set forth by the act. The amount you are entitled to receive will vary depending upon the fringe benefits you select now and in the future.

Compensation Details:

$26.06

The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good‑faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

Benefits Overview:

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to support you and your priorities. Offerings include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
• Educational reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Tax-saving options
• Disability and life insurance
• Pet insurance

Note: Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Original Posting:

10/07/2026 - Until Filled

Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.