Paralegal

Rayonier•Atlanta, GA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Paralegal will support four attorneys in connection with forestry matters (e.g., timber contracts, non-timber business transactions, easements, boundary line issues), rural real estate (e.g., purchase and sale transactions, agreements, title issues, closings, leasing), environmental matters (e.g., permitting, compliance), litigation support, contract management, and records management. This position also serves as back-up administrative support to the Law Department (e.g., mail, files, scanning/copying, notary support).

Requirements

Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in a major relevant to this position (e.g., Paralegal Studies, Business, Accounting, Finance, Real Estate, Communications, English, Pre-Law or similar) or equivalent work experience.
At least 5 years’ paralegal experience supporting transactions either in a law firm or in-house law department.
Experience supporting real estate transactions either as a paralegal in a law firm or working for a title company (e.g., escrow agent, closer, underwriter, etc.) preferred.
Working knowledge of legal terms, real estate laws, and real estate transactions (e.g., contracts, surveys/plats, title commitments, closing documents, and closing processes).
Must be a Georgia notary or capable of obtaining a Georgia notary commission within three months of employment.
Ability to review and interpret real estate and business contracts and related documents and ability to draft the same for review by attorneys.
Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, be detail oriented, able to prioritize work and multi-task in a busy legal office, meet deadlines, be an excellent communicator (both verbal and written), and be capable of working independently with little direct supervision.
Strong work ethic, show initiative (i.e., a self-starter), be a team player with excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrate flexibility to handle a wide variety of maters with competing deadlines, have a positive mental “can-do” attitude, and act professionally.
Capable of working independently on a daily basis and on special projects assigned.
Keen sense of confidentiality and the ability to work within a strictly confidential environment.
Expert with Microsoft Word, familiar with Microsoft Excel, and ready, willing and able to learn new or unfamiliar technology resources (e.g., Claude, Gemini, Landfolio, Malbek contract management, Zendesk, and Legal Tracker).

Nice To Haves

Registered or Certified Paralegal
Real estate transaction experience
Experience using contract management software systems
Experience using Legal Tracker

Responsibilities

Assist counsel with managing forestry matters throughout the company’s land base, including timber harvesting contracts and related matters, fiber sales agreements, boundary line disputes, acquiring and selling a variety of easements (e.g., access, pipeline, and utility easements), condemnation proceedings, cell tower leases, and commercial contracts related to non-timber sales transactions.
Assist with the drafting and management of real estate contracts (e.g., using the correct forms, version control, redlining documents), resolving title issues (e.g., reviewing commitments, resolving issues, responding to title objections), and management of closings (e.g., drafting closing documents, reviewing closing statements, coordinating with outside title/escrow agents). Keeps all stakeholders informed of the status of closings.
Provide independent analysis and preparation of legal documents (for review by counsel) for use in all aspects of general real estate and business transactions and litigation matters (e.g., real estate documentation, service and purchase contracts, financial reports, correspondence, etc.). Work closely with the company’s contract administration team to maintain form agreements and ensure efficient administration of contracting process, including requisite approvals and authorizations. Demonstrated interest in, and experience with, using available artificial intelligence tools (e.g., Claude, Copilot, Gemini) to increase efficiency and quality of drafting and other legal work.
Maintain legal files for Law Department and business units. Assists with implementing and enforcing the company’s Records Retention policy.
Responsible for composition of coherent internal and external correspondence, and internal legal reports, involving moderately complex legal material, in draft form, as well as independently authors correspondence for distribution internally and externally.
Responsible for maintaining and processing law department budget documents and maintaining the Legal Tracker billing system.
Assist counsel in litigation matters, including locating and organizing documents for production, and identifying document custodians required by litigation, coordinating activities with outside counsel, and initiating and closing litigation holds.
Works well within the confines of a strict confidential environment, requiring frequent substantive interface with senior corporate management, and with comparable level managers and attorneys, both internal and external, in a general business environment.