Paralegal - Construction and Litigation

Ryan Companies•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

The Construction Law Paralegal provides comprehensive legal support to three construction attorneys and works with operational and project teams across the country. The role manages complex legal processes throughout the construction lifecycle with substantial autonomy and minimal supervision, coordinating with Project Managers, Preconstruction, Risk Management, and Leadership. The position supports construction contracts and project workflows, dispute resolution and litigation, risk management and compliance, training and mentorship, and, as needed, corporate and real estate development matters. It also helps translate legal requirements into practical guidance for field operations and balances corporate governance work with fast-moving, multi-state construction schedules.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, Construction Management, or a related field.
At least 5 years of progressive paralegal experience, including real estate.
Understanding of construction, development, and commercial real estate legal concepts and basic contract law.
Ability to interpret contracts to provide legal support and mitigate risk.
Ability to review and respond to title and survey materials, settlement statements, estoppels, SNDAs, listing and confidentiality agreements, and other basic legal documents.
Superior writing skills for correspondence, title and survey objection letters, closing documents, and other legal documentation.
Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Experience with legal document management, e-discovery, and corporate entity management systems and databases.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to multitask and work within a defined schedule.

Nice To Haves

ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate.
Familiarity with construction contract management platforms such as Procore.
Experience with legal AI tools, AI-powered contract analysis platforms such as Kira or Document Draft, and generative AI assistants for drafting, contract review, and legal research.

Responsibilities

Provide primary legal support to three construction attorneys and national construction project teams, managing workflows across construction project pipelines.
Draft, review, and track contracts, including Owner-Contractor agreements, Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) agreements, Master Service Agreements (MSAs), and architect or designer agreements.
Review and track subcontractor MSAs, purchase orders, and modifications based on local market dynamics.
Create, refine, and maintain contract playbooks with standard fallback language, risk thresholds, and pre-approved compromise positions.
Assist attorneys with default and demand letters, punch-list and closeout disputes, delay-related claims, and schedule-extension documentation.
Draft, track, and manage mechanic’s lien notices, lien waivers, and bond claims across multiple jurisdictions.
Coordinate with outside counsel on pre-litigation disputes and active lawsuits.
Lead document collection, legal hold notices, and responses to subpoenas and formal discovery requests.
Monitor, track, and process warranty claims; gather evidence and help draft response strategies with construction and operations teams.
Assist with project close-out requirements.
Provide backup support for general contractor and business licensing compliance across regional markets.
Train Project Coordinators, Project Managers, and Superintendents on contract policies, lien law compliance, and project documentation.
Mentor and guide junior paralegals, legal assistants, and administrative staff through liaison with the legal team.
As needed, assist with entity formations, foreign qualification filings, state annual reports, board resolutions, officer certificates, and corporate organizational charts.
Provide transactional support for real estate development transactions.
Review and respond to title and survey materials, settlement statements, estoppels, SNDAs, listing and confidentiality agreements, and other basic legal documents.
Prepare correspondence, title and survey objection letters, closing documents, and other legal documentation.