Job description
Overview:
Reporting to the Human Resources Manager, the Legal Team Assistant will provide client service-related duties as part of an integrated legal support team encompassing a broad range of support tasks. Legal Team Assistants are expected to have a demonstrated positive and proactive customer service approach to support and work effectively as a member of a broader team. They must coordinate activities with their team as a collective group and work in conjunction with other team members. The volume and type of requests handled by any team member is determined by the variable workflows of the practice areas. The Legal Team Assistant will work effectively within the legal support team structure as a collaborative team member. In general, Legal Team Assistants will consistently contribute in a positive manner to the overall success of the team.
Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with assigned team, provide & coordinate legal administrative support for attorneys & clients. Receive, acknowledge, review, track & complete incoming requests promptly. If a request should be directed to other resources/departments, then coordinate accordingly while maintaining overall ownership of the request (ensure request is routed to the appropriate team or department in a timely & clear manner; verify the quality of the work product & follow-up with the requestor). Proactively anticipate business needs of attorneys; plan ahead & meet deadlines. Partner effectively with Legal Assistants, WP, Mailroom, Copy Center, IT, Finance, Travel & other departments.
- Identify & maintain accurate & complete records by following the firm’s guidelines & policies. Demonstrate knowledge of firm’s Records Management/Retention & NetDocs Policies to support proper filing & organization of files & documents.
- Prepare & edit documents/spreadsheets. Prepare revisions & blackline documents. Generate & update Tables of Authorities/Table of Contents using Best Authority; prepare Pleading Backs. Prepare pro-bono audit letter responses. Assist in the preparation of presentation materials for prospective clients using templates & tools. Proofread documents & check for appropriate formatting, spelling & grammar. Coordinate lengthy & complex document preparation with Word Processing & complex proof-reading requests with legal assistants as needed. Prepare documents for filings & obtain notary as needed.
- Conduct research utilizing internal and/or external databases and tools as needed. Demonstrate self-reliance to search, review, analyze & assemble needed information. Assist attorneys in retrieving legal documents & UCC filings. Provide general database support & data entry/flagging including linking information to Business Development & other databases.
- Organize & maintain complex electronic files, including the use of multiple electronic tools/databases, for the practice & individual attorneys. Code & file case/matter documents & emails within NetDocuments. Provide support for NetDocs to help ensure consistent filing, organization & usage. Communicate NetDocs filing guidance on an ongoing basis. Comply with client-specific security requirements, work with IT security set & maintain legal team security access. Maintain paper & electronic files in compliance with Firm policies. Work with the Records Department to create, maintain & archive client files & indexes. Mark case or matter-related documents as needed with filing instructions to ensure proper archiving. Perform routine filing & retrieve files as needed.
- Validate & process vendor invoices for payment; follow-up with Accounts payable to confirm payment. Prepare & process attorney expense reimbursement & disbursement requests. Prepare & submit New Business Intake forms & on-going updates that include verification, compliance, routing & maintenance of outside counsel guidelines (OCG), engagement letters, pricing/discount levels, updates to billing addresses/contacts & marketing data.
- Assist attorneys & Billing Department with preparation of client bills. Prepare, convert & distribute pro forma(s) with a copy to biller. Review & revise billing narratives as requested. Proactively communicate & collaborate with billers, attorneys, legal assistants & other timekeepers regarding client bills. Based on the Billing Department’s OCG narrative/time audits, review/revise timekeeper billing narratives for OCG compliance. Identify common non-compliance billing errors by matter & work with the billing partner to develop billing guidance communications for timekeepers to mitigate future issues. Work with billing partners, billing & timekeepers to prepare client bills in a timely fashion. Review & track time transfers on unopened matters; communicate with partners & billers regarding same. Assist with client collections communication as requested by partners. Ensure client invoices are promptly dispatched to clients, track outstanding client invoices & follow up with billers & partners. Stay abreast of Accounts Payable, New Business Intake, Billing & OCG updates and best practices.
- Manage, maintain & update attorney calendars & contacts, including meetings, appointments, due dates & client-related activities; arrange for conference rooms & catering for attorney/client meetings, update new & existing contacts. Coordinate specific court dates with the Managing Attorney's Office as needed. Link Calendar entries to appropriate records in Business Development database. Maintain attorney client contacts in Customer Records Management system.
- Provide additional general administrative support. Review, route & prioritize incoming & outgoing correspondence (hard copy & electronic). Arrange for specialized mail or messenger services as required; ensure that all attachments, exhibits & enclosures are included. Coordinate activities with mailroom & messenger personnel as needed. Prepare & process new case memoranda. Receive & screen phone calls & take messages. Receive & direct clients & visitors. Coordinate travel arrangements, prepare itineraries & travel expense reports.
- Commit to continuously learning through available technology and professional development training. Keep informed of new technology updates at the firm; engage in learning & applying new material. Take responsibility for personal growth & development while promoting a learning environment.
- Other responsibilities/duties as they may be assigned.
- A High School degree required; a college degree preferred.
- 2 - 3 years litigation experience.
- 2 - 5+ years’ administrative/clerical support experience.
Experience
- ECF/e-Filing.
- TOAs/TOCs.
- Must have intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Strong proofreading skills and attention to detail.
- Must possess basic math and above average grammatical and verbal communication skills in English.
- Strong organizational skills to effectively multi-task.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and high-pressured environment.
- Must be highly motivated, self-starter who is able to work independently with a high degree of accuracy and professionalism.
- Must have good sense of judgment and know when to escalate problems to the appropriate manager.
- Experience working effectively in changing team environments and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, including having shared responsibilities to achieve single objectives.
- Experience with effective workload balancing to accomplish multiple tasks, including working cross-functionally with other teams and/or resources.
- Strong client service orientation.
- Effective and proactive team player; strong inter-personal skills.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Strong grammatical and proofreading skills.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize.
- Ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure.
- Ability to think critically and analytically, exhibit sound judgment.
- Ability to handle privileged, confidential, and sensitive information in an appropriate, professional manner.
- Strong computer/general database skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat.
- Strong internet research skills.
- Ability and willingness to learn new technology and software platforms.
- Flexible and available to work overtime as needed (includes evenings and weekends).
Available to report to work on the regularly scheduled days and at the scheduled hour.
learninglandscape.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, learninglandscape.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, learninglandscape.com is the ideal place to find your next job.