Legal Assistant - Litigation

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC • Birmingham, AL

2d • $22 - $30 • Onsite

About The Position

The Legal Assistant provides administrative and litigation support to lawyers and legal staff in the Birmingham office, supporting an attorney group of 2–3 and working outside a pooled-resource arrangement. The role involves preparing and proofreading legal documents and correspondence; handling court electronic filings; maintaining case files, calendars, deadlines, and trial materials; supporting billing and timekeeping; coordinating communications, appointments, meetings, depositions, and travel; and assisting clients and visitors. The position requires familiarity with law-office systems and procedures, strong organization and communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage a high volume of work under time constraints. Occasional work beyond established office hours and irregular hours may be required.

Requirements

• High school completion or equivalent, or the equivalent level of recordkeeping and filing ability acquired through that education.
• Ability to read and write well enough to proofread and make minor edits to routine law-office correspondence and legal matters.
• Ability to perform non-complex arithmetic calculations when checking forms and documents.
• Ability to transcribe legal documents, correspondence, and reports from rough draft or dictation at 70 words per minute.
• Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them within time constraints.
• Ability to proofread typed materials for grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors.
• Interpersonal skills to communicate and follow instructions effectively and courteously with diverse clients, attorneys, and staff, in person, by email, and by telephone.
• Ability to manage occasional high mental effort and strain while producing a high volume of information and performing other essential duties.
• Ability to work beyond established weekly office hours occasionally and to work irregular hours when required.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods and perform some bending, stooping, and stretching.
• Eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, photocopier, telephone, calculator, and other office equipment.
• Normal range of hearing and eyesight to record, prepare, and communicate reports.
• Ability to climb stairs, ladders, and/or scaffolding and lift up to 30 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Operate office equipment and firm software systems, including word processing, time and billing, conflicts, email, trial, document management, time clock, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Name and store documents according to the firm's document-management procedures.
• Prepare legal documents, correspondence, memoranda, drafts, and other materials from written or oral drafts or dictation; draft standard correspondence and documents.
• Complete court-required electronic filings according to court rules and procedures, including selecting appropriate enclosures for the practice area.
• Use firm and legal forms, document formats, printing requirements, and online legal research sites.
• Follow firm policies and procedures for check processing and travel and marketing reimbursement requests, including obtaining supporting documentation and approvals.
• Review documents for grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, and accuracy of legal case citations.
• Handle incoming calls, transfer and conference calls, record and forward messages, and answer or screen calls as directed by the assigned attorney.
• Sort and date incoming mail, ensure outgoing mail is delivered promptly, route mail to delivery services when necessary, and follow up on delivery.
• Draft or type complaints, answers, routine notices, affidavits, motions, petitions, contracts, and closing documents when applicable.
• Establish and maintain trial and expert witness notebooks, document indexes, reports, and lists when applicable; use computerized litigation techniques and software when applicable.
• Maintain calendars and deadline reminders, review weekly motion and monthly trial dockets, and assist with scheduling meetings and depositions.
• Act as a witness or Notary Public when requested; if designated as a Notary Public, follow Alabama procedures and maintain an accurate record of notarized documents.
• Open new files, submit conflict-of-interest report requests and new-matter forms, and maintain client and general files.
• Periodically review files for off-site storage and prepare files for closing under firm procedures.
• Receive clients and visitors, maintain good public relations, protect attorney-client confidentiality, and help prepare conference rooms as needed.
• Make attorney appointments and travel arrangements according to firm or client procedures.
• Process bills, proof and edit work in process in preparation for billing, and ensure attorney timesheets are entered promptly when provided.
• Coordinate with administrative support staff and vendors and proof documents returned by them.
• Assist other secretaries as workload permits or as assigned, and perform additional legal assistant duties as requested.

Benefits

• Firm-provided medical coverage with a firm contribution to the premium.
• Firm-provided dental and vision coverage with a firm contribution to the premium.
• Firm-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Eleven paid holidays annually.
• Paid time off.
• Firm 401(k) and profit-sharing contribution.
• Firm-paid parking.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED