Paralegal IV supporting the US Attorney’s Office – Buffalo, NY

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 IV, you will be supporting the overall mission of the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO).

Responsibilities

• Conduct financial investigations and provide analytical services in the collection of criminal monetary penalties and civil debts. Draft and/or prepare letters, forms, & reports to initiate the collection of debts. Obtain & analyze financial information on debtors. Conduct interviews of debtors and agency officials to assist with the action of pursing legal action against debtors.
• Prepare and organize evidence and discovery to support debt collection. Sources of discovery include the defendant, the defendant’s family members, the defendant’s businesses, banks, brokerages, title insurers, lenders, employers, and credit grantors. Manages discovery & evidence in electronic and hard copy formats.
• Monitor the progress of pending cases to ensure legal pleadings, forms, reports, correspondence, & other documents are prepared & submitted in a timely manner. Examine & evaluate information in case files.
• Draft & prepare legal & administrative briefs, motions, foreclosures, garnishments, & other legal actions for review by AUSA. Develop legally supportable conclusions. Verify citations & statutory references.
• Analyze and interpret tax records and credit bureau reports to assess collectability and trace assets such as real property and personal accounts.
• Use multiple computerized databases and research references such as agency manuals, directives, issuances, court reports, appellate records or legal publications to obtain data related to public records information, judgment and lien information, Secretary of State records, and publicly filed financial information. Determines which statutes, regulations, cases, procedures and/or policies need to be researched. Prepare the initial summary, organize the research, & determine what is pertinent to the case.
• Conduct interviews of debtors, third parties, employers, and agency officials to determine the effectiveness of pursuing legal action against debtors in default.
• Independently prepares a variety of substantive legal documents to include various complaints, motions, judgments, garnishments, and other legal actions to affect necessary pre- and post-judgment action regarding debts owed to the U.S. government to be reviewed prior to filing.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies; or bachelor’s degree in another Field with a Paralegal Certificate; or Possess a paralegal certificate with additional 3 years’ paralegal experience or HS Diploma with additional 4 years paralegal experience.
• At least 3 years of paralegal experience required.
• Supervisory experience required.
• Sound working knowledge of legal system, legal research procedures, and sources of information.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, analytic ability, and thorough knowledge of legal research tools.
• Hands-on familiarity with a variety of computer applications, including word processing, database, spreadsheet, and telecommunications.
• Ability to consistently deliver highest quality work under extreme pressure.
• Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate

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

Agency Overview

The Financial Litigation Unit of the US Attorney’s Office (USAO) litigates debt collection issues and enforces collection of criminal and civil debts owed to the United States or to victims of federal crime.

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.