ELIZABETH R. LA PORTA

454 N. Yale Ave., Villa Park, IL 60181

Home: (630) 279-4740, Cell: (540) 303-3085

lizlaporta@hotmail.com

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Office Max, Naperville, IL, November 2012, January 2013

Temporary Paralegal

Updated Excel spreadsheet with current information from various stores.           

 

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (September 2002-December 2009)

 

CLEARANCE LEVEL Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information

 

EXPERIENCE:

Records Management Division, Winchester, VA July-October 2009

Records Conversion Technician

Surveyed material for Top Secret (TS) or Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI). 

 

Security Specialist, November 2006-July 2009

Conducted Pre-Polygraph Personnel Security Interviews, Financial Interviews, Five Year Reinvestigations and Foreign Travel Briefings of employees.  Provided Security Briefing to new employees.  Initiated and designed new binding of Security Policy Manual, resulting in reduction of paper, better storage capability.

 

Research Analyst, March 2007-September 2008

National Name Check Program

Initiated name searches in UNI (Universal Index) in Automated Case Support to ascertain identical hits, then eliminated non-responsive files through further analysis.

 

Legal Administrative Specialist, October 2005-November 2006

Word Processing Unit

Searched the FBI's central records system for records responsive to FOI/PA requests, and collected responsive requests from appropriate Field Offices. 

 

Service Request Unit

Opened FOI/PA requests from the public then identified and obtained responsive records and scanned into the database.  Kept weekly count of how much mail was opened.

 

Chicago Division, Chicago, IL September 2002-October 2005

Support Services Technician, April-May, August 2004-October 2005

Entered telephone numbers obtained from wiretap into the database. Conducted legal research pertaining to background checks of applicants and case information for agents as needed.  Handled bomb threat.

 

 

Elizabeth R. La Porta (Page 2)

 

Electronic Surveillance Technician, June-August 2004

Performed electronic surveillance duties to ensure evidence was accepted from the agent,

the chain of custody was preserved and the evidence was not tainted.  Duplicated audio and video cassettes and compact discs as requested.

 

Auto Clerk, October 2002-April 2004

Responsible for more than 600 vehicles regarding maintenance, emissions testing, registrations, license plate renewals, transfers and accidents.  Payment of bills. Prepared Inventory Reports.  Received and distributed Chicago City Stickers.  Prevented shooting between agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

 

Typist, September-October, 2002

Transcribed training audio cassettes from agents describing various activities.

 

PARALEGAL EXPERIENCE

Bedrava & Lyamn, Oak Brook, IL

Real Estate Paralegal, Jun-Sept. 2001

Opened and maintained new files and pleading books.  Prepared correspondence to court officials, opposing counsel and clients. 

 

Schiff, Hardin & Waite, Chicago, IL

Corporate Paralegal, February-May, 1997

Preparation of annual consents for corporate minute books.  Filed annual reports with the Secretary of State's Office.  Drafted and prepared all UCC forms pertaining to secured and unsecured transactions, submitted forms to Secretary of State. 

 

Sears, Roebuck & Company, Hoffman Estates, IL

Real Estate Paralegal, September-November 1996

Abstracted all information relating to the maintenance, repair and replacement to the Common Area and Sears property. 

 

Mayer, Brown & Platt, Chicago, IL

Corporate Paralegal, June 1995-May 1996

Drafted and prepared all necessary UCC forms pertaining to secured and unsecured transactions, attached appropriate information and submitted forms to Secretary of State.  Prepared schedules of UCC search results.  Distributed closing binders.

 

Lighthouse Financial Services, Inc., Oak Brook, IL

Loan Originator, September 1994-June 1995

Contacted potential clients to discuss the refinancing of their first and second mortgages.  Qualified clients by analyzing financial information regarding their credit and income.

 

 

Elizabeth R. La Porta (Page 3)

 

Boston, Chicken, Inc., Naperville, IL

Real Estate Paralegal, April-August 1994

Analyzed real estate documents for restaurants.  Reported and corrected erroneous

documents and kept relevant data in proper sequence, while analyzing.

 

The Florsheim Shoe Company, Chicago, IL

Real Estate Paralegal November 1993- February 1994

Reviewed commercial property leases and abstracted costs.  Notification of asbestos problem within various shopping centers.  Addressed multiple issues for several California stores after Northridge earthquake.

 

EDUCATION:

Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois

Master of Science in Leadership, 2013

 

College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Associate in Applied Science, Criminal Justice, 2010

Homeland Security Certificate, 2010

Associate in Arts, 1984

 

Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois

Lawyer's Assistant Program: Certificates

Corporate/Securities Specialty-Environmental Law Sub-Specialty,

Graduate Program, A.B.A. Approved, 1992

Generalist Program,

Graduate Program, A.B.A. Approved, 1988

 

Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois

Bachelor in General Studies, 1989

 

SKILLS:

Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WESTLAW

 

TRAINING:

Basic Security Officer's Course, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA, 08/2007

National Crime Information Center Database, 05/2007

The Essentials of Credibility, Composure and Confidence, SkillPath, 04/2005

Resume Writing, SkillPath, 01/2005

How to Manage Multiple Project and Deadlines, SkillPath, 10/2004

TOPOFF 2 Full-Scale Disaster Exercise 05/2003

The Indispensable Assistant, SkillPath, 02/2003

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP:

Parents Alliance Employment Project, Lombard, IL, Board of Directors, 2000-2002