The Paralegal / Litigation Secretary professional will work directly and support the Personal Injury attorney. In addition, the Paralegal / Litigation Secretary will work with other members of the Personal Injury department, as well as other departments (i.
e., Workers’ Compensation, Employment Law, Administration, Intake, etc.), as assigned.
Apply promptly! A high volume of applicants is expected for the role as detailed below, do not wait to send your CV.
In addition, the Paralegal / Litigation Secretary may be tasked with special projects on an as-needed basis requiring direction and guidance by Management and / or other Pod Leaders.
Primary duties / responsibilities include, but are not limited to :
- Oversee and manage approximately 50 to 75 litigation matters with the assistance of the assigned pod leader and Firm support staff;
- Communicate and correspond with client(s) about case status and preparation (i.e. telephonically, in-person, etc.);
- Receive / screen incoming calls, take accurate messages and enter into voicemail per attorney preferences;
- Prepare documents for filing with the appropriate court or other government office, by hand delivery or e-filing, in compliance with rules set out by that agency;
- Create and maintain litigation files for each matter;
- Prepare legal documents for service on appropriate counsel and parties;
- Propound and respond to written discovery;
- Draft meet and confer correspondence regarding deposition subpoenas;
- Assist in gathering documents and evidence from the client throughout the discovery phase and course of litigation;
- Review, index, organize, and summarize documents produced by other parties and medical healthcare providers;
- Manage attorney’s calendar and calendar all related litigation dates (i.e. hearings, depositions, mediations, etc.);
- Ensure that all court appearances are covered either by the assigned attorney, court call or a covering attorney service;
- Draft legal documents such as deposition notices for attorney review / approval and service on opposing counsel and parties;
- Schedule interpreters for depositions, IMEs, court hearings;
- Assist in coordinating and scheduling depositions and mediations;
- Assist in tracking and monitoring pending attorney tasks;
- Review deposition transcripts with the client;
- Assist in trial preparation, including but not limited to preparing trial documents, exhibits and binders;
- Communicate with medical and legal experts throughout litigation to assist in maintaining and coordinating expert deposition documents and availability;
- Perform legal research and writing;
- Draft and edit memoranda, correspondence, pleadings, charts and tables using appropriate and effective software applications;
- Schedule appointments, set up conference calls, arrange meetings, schedule conference rooms and make travel arrangements using Firm applications and appropriate resources;
- Fax, photocopy, scan, and convert or export / import documents to / from other applications;
- Maintain electronic and hardcopy files in accordance with the Firm's policies / procedures;
- Process attorney weekly time summaries, review billing and prepare monthly invoices;
- Open and sort incoming litigation mail;
- Perform other duties as assigned by Management and / or Pod Leaders.
Competencies / Skills :
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with a high degree of discretion and tact;
- Ability to communicate effectively with a range of individuals;
- Possess strong organizational / clerical skills;
- Ability to work alone or as part of a team;
- Ability to pay very close attention to detail;
- Ability to adhere to law office procedures;
- Ability to identify urgent tasks and to prioritize accordingly;
- Able to practice appropriate office etiquette;
- Ability to manage their time and multi-task effectively;
- Ability to maintain composure and professionalism under pressure;
- Ability to adapt to new situations and changing priorities;
This position requires physical activity including, but not limited to bending, stooping, repetitive motion, and lifting of up to 20 pounds (lbs.
In addition, lifting heavy items and transport / guide up to 100 pounds (lbs.) of material on a cart is sometimes required.
Qualifications :
- Possess a working knowledge of all phases of litigation;
- Minimum 3 5 years experience working in a law firm;
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e., Outlook, Word, Excel) and other applications and / or systems (i.e., Adobe, Internet);
- Professional appearance and get it done attitude;
- The right candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills;
- Bilingual, fluent in English and Spanish, is required as over 90% of the Firm’s clientele are Spanish speaking.
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