The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland's (USAO-MD) mission is to enforce and defend the laws of the United States of America through the prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal government; the prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; and the collection of debts owed to the Federal government that are administratively uncollectible.

Duties

If selected for this position, you will join the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit (ARMLU). The candidate will serve as a Paralegal Specialist providing legal support to the attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. The Paralegal Specialist will support in a variety of specialized litigation activities related to both civil and criminal asset forfeiture and financial litigation. Experience in management of district data in two specialized databases (Consolidated Asset Tracking System for asset forfeiture and Consolidated Debt Collection System for financial litigation) is a huge plus. Internal audit experience, the ability to respond to inquiries, as well as legal research and writing skills are competitive attributes. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Typical work assignments will include: Preparation of monthly reports in both Consolidated Asset Tracking System (CATS) for asset forfeiture and Consolidated Debt Collection System (CDCS) for financial litigation. Performs substantive research, evaluation and analysis related to asset forfeiture and financial litigation. Drats legal and administrative briefs, motions, and correspondence for Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) review. Initiates contact with debtors concerning payment of their obligations, their ability to pay, and negotiates written payment schedules to assure successful collection of debts. Prepares and organizes documentation and evidence for production as discovery and for use in trial. Compiles case files for AUSAs and coordinates with points of contact to obtain copies of all documentation pertinent to the case or claim.

Requirements

• You must be a United States Citizen or National to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• A probationary period may be required.
• A pre-employment drug test may be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Time-in-Grade: Current or former Federal employees applying under merit promotion considerations must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for consideration within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
• Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying: To qualify at the GS-09 level, you must possess: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) three (3) of the four (4) duties listed below: Performing legal research and/or analysis for financial litigation case development or documentation; Composing legal documents and/or correspondence; Utilizing policies and/or regulations concerning debt collections to negotiate or interview debtors; Retrieving data from legal and/or administrative databases. OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree OR two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR I have an LL.B. or J.D., in a directly related field. (Must submit transcripts.) OR a combination of the above described graduate education and specialized experience. To combine education and experience, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Then determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) may be used when combining education and experience for this option. (Must submit transcripts.) To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must possess: Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service performing (obtained in either the public or private sectors) three (3) of the four (4) duties listed below: Performing fact gathering and/or problem analysis related to asset forfeiture or financial litigation; Interprets, applies and/or explains laws, regulations or policies related to asset forfeiture and financial litigation; Drafting legal documents, briefs, and/or findings by analyzing facts or issues of law; Identifying information needed and/or developing recommendations for civil or criminal case(s). OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.M. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR a combination of specialized experience and higher-level graduate education, which fully meets the qualification requirement of the position. To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-07is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. One year at the GS-09is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 level. You must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted; recommended SF-50s include promotions and step increases (within grade increases). All applicants will be reviewed to ensure they meet minimum qualification and eligibility requirements before carrying out the rating and ranking process. Applicants will not be further considered who will not meet within 30 days after the closing date of the vacancy announcement all qualification and eligibility requirements. NOTE(s): Experience: Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see https://www.ed.gov/

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see https://www.ed.gov/

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.In addition, when reviewing applicant's transcripts, assumptions will not be made. Applicants MUST state which coursework is relevant.

Contacts

• Address US Attorney's Office District of Maryland 36 S. Charles Street 4th Fl. Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: MID-ATLANTIC SERVICE BRANCH
• Email: [email protected]