Legal Practice Assistant (Litigation) - SF

Fenwick & West LLP•San Francisco, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Fenwick is seeking a Litigation Legal Practice Assistant in their San Francisco, CA office. This role involves performing a variety of secretarial and administrative tasks to support assigned attorneys and paralegals. The position emphasizes providing exceptional customer service and producing a high volume of quality work. It operates on a hybrid schedule, requiring three days on-site, with potential for additional in-office days based on business and client needs. The standard work week is 37.5 hours, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

Requirements

5+ years of experience supporting litigation attorneys/paralegals (litigation experience required).
Experience with independently e-Filing documents in accordance with the federal and states court’s rules required.
Proficiency in using MS Office: Excel Word and PowerPoint.
Proficiency in Adobe Acrobat.
Proficiency in Best Authority.
Proficiency in Propel.
Proficiency in Discclient.
Proficiency in PacerPro.
Proficiency in Compulaw.
Proficiency in LegalMation.
Proficiency in Lexis.
Proficiency in Westlaw.
Proficiency in iManage.
Proficiency in Aderant.
Proficiency in Google Scholar.
Comfortable navigating in Windows platform.
Comfortable navigating other Firm or Litigation software applications.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent experience/relevant certifications.

Responsibilities

Maintain and foster positive and collaborative working relationships with assigned Practice Group Partners/Associates/Paralegals, Firm clients, Administrative Departments, and external vendors.
Produce high quality and error-free work product in a timely manner.
Develop a comprehensive understanding of efficiencies and teamwork with local and firmwide secretarial teams.
Effectively collaborate within the secretarial team to ensure assigned attorneys and paralegals are supported with a focus on superior client services.
Share responsibility for coverage of attorneys and paralegals.
Possess a solid understanding of the litigation process: Initiating document setup for cases, including Civil Coversheet, Summons and Complaint, along with Corporate Disclosure Statement; Prepare, file and serve Answer to Complaint; Arrange for service via a Process Server.
Demonstrate proficiency in handling State, Federal, and Appellate ECF sealed and public filings along with a robust understanding of court rules, local rules, and calendaring needs utilized by courts relevant to attorney’s litigation practice.
Working knowledge of the court’s PacerPro and its workflow procedures/protocols.
Complete familiarity with trial prep documents such as motions in limine, jury instructions, etc.; thorough understanding of trial logistics; ability to travel as needed for trial/trial preparation.
Use legal resources effectively, including court websites, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, California Code of Civil Procedure, California Rules of Courts, Lexis-Nexis, and Westlaw for research, case law retrieval, and forms access.
Generate and troubleshoot Table of Contents and Table of Authorities using Best Authority while maintaining proficiency with Blue Book and state citation styles.
Compile and coordinate court filings to maintain client's internal file system updated in iManage/Propel.
Convert documents from PDF to Word/vice versa, insert/remove pages, bookmark, redact documents and enable OCR formatting for searching capabilities.
Perform a variety of administrative functions including preparing check requests, invoices and reimbursements.
Manage and keep assigned attorney’s calendar updated with relevant information, i.e., client meetings, court deadlines, etc.
Schedule messengers, process servers and other vendors for pick-up, delivery or service of documents.
Knowledge of timekeeping protocols; assist with entering attorney time, as necessary.
Acquire knowledge and understanding of the Firm’s resources, departmental schedules, and protocols to effectively delegate and ensure completion of assigned tasks.
Be flexible and available to work overtime as necessary.
Perform other tasks as assigned.
Review monthly bills for consistency, accuracy, spelling and substance, learn billing practices over time (usual write-offs, client format preferences, etc.); check bills for consistency against special engagement terms (deferrals, rates, caps, etc.).
Respond to client requests for month-end estimates.
Monitor, identify and resolve A/R and collections issues, as necessary.
Ensure accurate execution of billing and collection instructions and follow-up with billing coordinator.