About the Position
The paralegal’s job is to help the law firm make a profit for its owner by helping the firm efficiently solve the problems for which its clients have hired the law firm. The paralegal can and should participate in any aspect of a client’s matter that does not require a bar license. Paralegals may not Speak on the record, Sign pleadings and briefs, Set strategy, and Supervise the production of legal work.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
Client-Focused Tasks:
1. Interacts with clients and builds trust by phone, email, and in person.
a. Keeps client appraised of the flow of the case. Updates Clients once per month on case status.
Attorney-Focused Tasks:
1. Research
a. Paralegal conducts factual research under the direction of the attorney.
b. Performs legal research under the direction of the attorney, including Legislative and case law updates.
c. Reviews the case and prepares the case status and summary notes.
2. Drafts Documents for Attorney Review
a. Motions
b. Oppositions
c. Legal Pleadings
d. Discovery and Discovery Responses
e. Letters and other Legal Documents
f. Agreements and other transaction documents
g. Due diligence and transaction status
3. Tracking
a. Deal progress
b. Deadlines
c. Outstanding items
4. Paralegal ensures that the legal work product that leaves the office is complete in appearance and error-free.
Delegation/Overseeing of Administrative Tasks
1. Delegates non-billable tasks to Legal Secretary. Understands that when flat fee tasks are delegated to Legal Secretary, Legal Secretary will receive some or all time credit.
2. Creates timelines, how-to videos, written instructions, and checklists for others to follow.
3. Paralegal checks in with support staff when assignments are delegated. When the work product standard has not been met, the paralegal must update a procedure and/or checklist in the xx book to ensure the problem is never repeated.
4. Conducts or delegates conflict checks per policy and procedure of new names.
5. The paralegal keeps contemporaneous billing records reflecting work that the client has received, has added value, and efficiently contributed to the client’s solution. If, on a given day, the paralegal does not have six hours of billable work to perform, then the paralegal should take the following action.
a. Review 3 open files.
i. Make sure the pleadings file and index are up to date.
ii. Make sure all deadlines and other important dates are calendared.
iii. List any actions that should or must be taken to protect and help the client.
iv. Take all actions that a paralegal may take and notify the attorney of any such tasks that the attorney must take.
v. Make sure the client is aware of any tasks that need to be performed by the client, upcoming calendar items, and upcoming deadlines and depositions.
b. Follow up with attorneys and other paralegals to let them know they are available for more work.
6. The paralegal must talk to the legal secretary several times daily to ensure they work as an effective legal production team.
7. Paralegal must maintain a professional and positive working relationship with the Legal Secretary to serve the client effectively. The professional and positive working relationship is best demonstrated by the meeting of KPIs by the Legal Secretary. This is an ongoing requirement. If problems arise, the Firm Administrator or Owner must be notified immediately upon noticing difficulties.
Required Skills:
·3 or more years of experience.
·Strong written and oral communication skills.
·Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize duties and meet deadlines.
·Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) with intermediate proficiency in Excel preferred.
·Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
·Ability to work with various clients at all levels of the legal profession.
·Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $49,018.00 - $52,911.00 per year
Benefits:
401(k)
401(k) matching
Dental Insurance
Disability insurance
Free Parking
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Tuition reimbursement
Vision insurance
Schedule:
8 hour shift
Day shift
Holidays
Monday to Friday
No nights
Travel requirement:
Education:
Associate (Preferred)
Experience:
Paralegal 3 years (Required)
Work Location:
In person
