JOB SUMMARY:
Provide legal support to attorneys or projects by conducting research, organizing files, scheduling depositions, and maintaining client records.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Obtain work assignments from legal administrator or assigned attorneys, based on needs of the office and experience level of the paralegal.
- Investigate, engages in legal research, develops draft pleadings, prepares motions for review by assigned attorney, and assists in discovery.
- Research legal issues, such as secretary of state incorporation and good standing data, for attorneys and legal staff.
- Acts as liaison with designated outside counsel and their paralegal staff.
- Advise attorney on the priority needs and status of assigned cases.
- Prepare draft affidavits of documents, maintain case correspondence and document files.
- Contact court administrators and regulatory bodies as needed to fulfill job assignment.
- Compile, code, categorize, calculate, tabulate, audit, or verify information or data.
- Write memoranda to summarize research results.
- Handle document productions including retrieval, review, and upload to databases.
- Cite-check and edit legal documents.
- Maintain documents, transcript, and work product databases.
- Organization and preparation of exhibit lists and/or privilege logs.
- Responsible for coordination of work with outside document/litigation vendors.
- Assist with trial preparation, including readiness of courtrooms and attendance at trials.
- Prepare Real Estate closing documents, including title review and attendance at closing.
- Apply principles of the law firm’s records retention program in developing files and closing of a file. Send closed file to records department for established retention period.
- Physical attendance and punctuality at place of work.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Knowledge of general office practices, procedures, and business English.
- Good working knowledge of the operating practices of courthouses.
- Ability to deal effectively with the clients, attorneys’ and co-workers.
- Ability to type at 60 words per minute.
- Ability to organize time efficiently among a variety of duties.
- Active listening, reading, service orientation, coordination, and social perceptiveness.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
- May assist attorney in preparing for interviews in depositions.
- Performs additional duties as instructed and assigned.
- Regional, national and international travel required occasionally.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree and/or paralegal certification from an institution approved by the American Bar Association.
- Five years’ of law office experience.
