Legal Support Specialist

Sidley Austin•Union City, CA

5d•$105,000 - $125,000

About The Position

A Legal Support Specialist assists lawyers and other legal personnel with administrative details, coordinates and maintains effective office procedures and efficient workflow, follows Firm policies and procedures, and establishes harmonious working relationships with Firm personnel, clients, vendors, and guests. The role provides administrative and legal support to lawyers handling transactional matters, including contracts and mergers and acquisitions. It manages document preparation, calendars, client onboarding, billing and time entries, travel, meetings, communications, and client files while coordinating with other Firm departments and support professionals. The position requires accuracy, discretion, sound judgment, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple assignments and competing priorities under pressure. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent.
Five or more years of related work experience and/or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Previous experience in a similar role at a law firm or professional services environment supporting multiple fee earners.
Excellent customer service and client relationship skills.
Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel; legal terminology; and standard document formatting.
Experience collaborating with support staff and willingness to develop others through mentoring and sharing experiences.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and judgment.
Superior written and verbal communication skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with others.
Ability to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion.
Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Global law firm experience.
Typing speed of at least 60 words per minute.

Responsibilities

Type, format, edit, proofread, and finalize correspondence, memoranda, and standard legal documents for transactional clients in accordance with Firm formatting standards.
Initiate correspondence and written materials under the specialist’s signature or for signature by timekeepers; check formatting, spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and accuracy.
Support legal matters involving contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional work; manage calendars, prepare legal documents, and coordinate communications between lawyers and clients during deal processes.
Assist other Legal Support Professionals within assigned teams as needed, organize and prioritize workload, and foster professional, cooperative relationships with peers, superiors, and clients.
Manage multiple lawyer assignments and organize clerical functions and workflow to meet administrative and client needs.
Serve as a subject matter expert on policies and procedures.
Manage new-client onboarding, from conflict processing through assignment of billing information, coordinating with Firm departments and resources to complete engagement processes accurately and promptly.
Enter, proofread, and post lawyers’ time entries; ensure compliance with client billing requirements and Firm timeliness policies.
Coordinate air, hotel, and ground transportation for lawyers and clients, and process lawyers’ travel expenses.
Check the accuracy of work sent to the duplicating service.
Receive and screen telephone calls, conference calls, and messages for lawyers, clients, and staff as directed; use audio and video software to schedule and create calls.
Process and distribute incoming and outgoing mail promptly as directed.
Coordinate in-person and remote conferences, meetings, and appointments; schedule conference rooms and food service using Firm software and procedures as required.
Manage complex calendars using discretion and judgment to prioritize and make effective use of timekeepers’ time, deflecting lower-level issues as appropriate.
Coordinate with Firm departments and resources to complete tasks supporting multiple responsibilities and assignments.
Coordinate client billing with billing services as directed; monitor and reconcile billing discrepancies, work with the billing department to resolve issues, and maintain information on billing arrangements for key clients.
Maintain a safe, unobstructed, neat, and organized work area and demonstrate safe work practices.
Maintain accurate electronic and hardcopy client files in the Firm’s document management system and other electronic repositories, following Records Management Center standards.
Perform other work-related duties as assigned or as judgment or necessity dictate.