Trade Paralegal/Trade Specialist

Company Overview The Driscoll Firm, P.C. is a dynamic and expanding national law firm committed to delivering exceptional legal support within a collaborative team environment. Known for high-volume practice areas, the firm prides itself on providing outstanding client service and fostering professional growth.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Driscoll Firm is seeking a detail-oriented Trade Paralegal or Trade Specialist to support the firm's IEEPA tariff refund practice. This role is purpose-built to handle the high-volume, process-intensive work of the CBP ACE refund claims process across dozens of concurrent client matters — work that is operationally critical but does not require bar admission. The right candidate has a background in customs, international trade, or trade-adjacent paralegal work, is highly organized, comfortable working in the CBP ACE portal, and can manage multiple client files simultaneously without dropping the ball on deadlines or documentation. This person frees the attorneys and the customs broker from administrative bottlenecks so the practice can scale.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Client Onboarding & File Setup Prepare and send client intake forms; track responses and follow up on incomplete submissions Set up and maintain digital matter files for each client: intake form, signed fee agreement, IOR number, ACE enrollment status, broker contact, entry records Maintain the firm's master client tracking spreadsheet with real-time status across all phases Calendar all deadlines: ACE portal launch, declaration filing windows, CBP response due dates Prepare conflict check requests and track clearance confirmations ACE Enrollment Support (Phase 3) Contact clients to determine ACE enrollment status and explain the enrollment requirement Walk clients through the ACE EFT enrollment process step-by-step, escalating technical issues to the customs broker Track and log enrollment confirmation for every client — flag any client not yet enrolled with 2 weeks to portal launch Maintain a running enrollment status report updated daily during the pre-launch window Document Collection & Organization (Phase 4) Send authorized records requests to client customs brokers for Form 7501 entry summaries Follow up on outstanding records requests; maintain a broker response log Receive, name, organize, and upload entry records to the matter file system Build and maintain per-client entry spreadsheets from Form 7501 data (entry number, date, HTS, value, duties paid) Flag entries with unusual features (open protests, atypical classifications, unusual tariff rates) for broker review Prepare draft exposure calculations for customs broker and attorney review Declaration Monitoring & CBP Correspondence Support (Phases 5-6) Monitor the ACE portal daily for incoming CBP notices on all active client matters Log all CBP communications in the matter file and notify the supervising broker and attorney immediately upon receipt Compile background documentation needed to respond to CBP discrepancy notices Prepare draft correspondence and response packages for broker and attorney review Track CBP response deadlines; issue internal reminders 5 days and 1 day before each deadline Update matter status log after each CBP interaction Reporting & Administrative Support Prepare weekly status reports for the supervising attorney summarizing: clients enrolled, declarations filed, CBP notices received, responses pending, and expected payment approvals Assist with preparation of client status update letters and meeting materials Support case closure: prepare final accounting worksheets, coordinate fee collection documentation, draft closure letters Maintain a firm-wide practice database tracking total refunds claimed, approved, and collected

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education Associate's or Bachelor's degree; paralegal certificate preferred Trade / Customs Experience Minimum 2 years of experience in customs brokerage, international trade operations, trade compliance, or trade-adjacent paralegal work ACE Familiarity Demonstrated experience working with CBP's ACE portal — entry lookup, account navigation, or portal-based filings Document Management Ability to manage high volumes of legal and customs documents accurately across multiple simultaneous client files Spreadsheet Skills Proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets — comfortable building and maintaining multi-column tracking spreadsheets from source documents Deadline Orientation Demonstrated ability to track, prioritize, and meet multiple concurrent deadlines without supervision

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience at a licensed customs brokerage firm or freight forwarder Familiarity with CBP Form 7501 entry summaries — ability to locate and extract key data fields Prior paralegal experience in a trade, customs, or international law practice Exposure to HTS tariff classification, duty calculations, or CBP entry procedures Experience with legal practice management software (Clio, Filevine or similar) Ability to communicate clearly with clients about procedural steps in plain, non-technical language

HOW THIS ROLE WORKS WITH THE LICENSED CUSTOMS BROKER

The Trade Paralegal and the Licensed Customs Broker work as a two-person operations team under attorney supervision. Division of responsibility is generally as follows: Task Primary Owner ACE technical troubleshooting Licensed Customs Broker ACE enrollment outreach & tracking Trade Paralegal Form 7501 technical review & classification verification Licensed Customs Broker Form 7501 collection, organization & spreadsheet build Trade Paralegal CBP compliance issue analysis Licensed Customs Broker + Attorney CBP notice logging, tracking & document compilation Trade Paralegal CBP response drafting (factual) Trade Paralegal (draft) → Broker review Matter status reporting Trade Paralegal Client legal strategy communication Attorney only

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

—

FIRST 90 DAYS

Milestone Target Matter files All active client matter files fully organized and current within 2 weeks of start Enrollment tracking 100% of clients contacted re: ACE enrollment; status tracked for all Records collection Outstanding broker records requests followed up within 3 business days; records organized upon receipt CBP monitoring Zero CBP notices missed; all logged within 24 hours of receipt Reporting Weekly status report delivered every Monday morning without prompting To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your experience with CBP's ACE portal or customs documentation to: Career@thedriscollfirm.com

Pay:

$55,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off

Experience:

customs brokerage: 2 years (Required)

Work Location:

In person