Legal Administrative Specialist - Environmental Enforcement Section

This position is located in the Environmental Enforcement Section, Energy and Natural Resources Division. The Section is responsible for bringing civil judicial actions under federal laws enacted to protect public health and the environment from pollution, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Superfund law. The incumbent will perform database management associated with debt collection cases and other legal functions for the Section.

Responsibilities of a Legal Administrative Specialist include: Reviewing a variety of complex documents (including case referrals, memos, emails, settlement agreements, court judgments) to extract relevant data and case information, input data, and perform quality assurance across multiple databases. Interpreting settlement agreements, court judgments, and other legal documents to ensure accurate financial coding of all debts owed to the United States. Ensuring that certain penalties are routed to special funds, defendants are assessed the correct amounts, payments are routed to the proper federal agency, and monetary penalties are distinguished from costs and natural resource damages. Interpreting all non-monetary relief and accurately recording its estimated value; noting whether work required will take longer than 3 years to complete; and distinguishing between mitigation projects and injunctive relief work required to achieve compliance with relevant statutes. Coordinating with EES attorneys to tailor the language used in payment provisions for settlement agreements, so that provisions are sufficiently clear and precise for the subsequent creation of debts and the financial coding of payments. Writing clear and concise emails to attorneys summarizing financial data or seeking financial data and other case information. Ensuring that accurate and timely information is transmitted to the Department-wide debt collection database and notifying the Financial Litigation Program (FLP) of the U.S. Attorney's Offices to send payment instructions to defendants. Coordinating with ENRD attorneys, FLPs, client agencies and other internal and external stakeholders to support the accurate and timely collection of monies owed to the United States. Generating multiple standard (often monthly) reports and designing ad hoc reports as needed to assist managers. Reviewing and transmitting Federal Register notices for publication, gathering any public comments, and routing public comments to the appropriate attorneys. Coordinating with the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in all 93 judicial districts to ensure collection of monies owed, working to resolve collection problems, and transmitting financial information and court documents to the U.S. EPA.