Legal Project Assistant - New York, NY
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JOB TITLE: Project Assistant - New York
DEPARTMENT: Legal Support Services
REPORTS TO: Chief Practice Support Officer
FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Non-Exempt
LOCATION:
There are three positions available; one in each of the following locations: CHICAGO, IL
JOB SUMMARY:
This position works under the direct supervision of a lawyer and provides the lawyer substantive legal services. A lawyer may delegate any task normally performed by a lawyer to a Project Assistant, except those tasks prohibited to a non-lawyer by statute, court rule, administrative rule or regulation, controlling authority, the applicable rule of professional conduct of the jurisdiction in which the lawyer practices, or the ABA Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Drafts, analyzes, and prepares legal documents for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal 1 .
- Coordinates legal projects and communicates legal information for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal.
- Prepare draft communications for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal.
- Collects, evaluates and summarizes relevant facts and legal concepts for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal.
- Attends client meetings, coordination meetings, and legal proceedings with a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal.
- Provides legal project management for a legal matter for a supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal.
- Maintains notary license in local jurisdiction.
- Follows all supervising lawyer or supervising paralegal instructions.
1 Supervising Paralegals encompass individuals with the title: Paralegal, Senior Paralegal, Paralegal Specialist and Senior Paralegal Specialist.
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Maintains accurate and appropriate time records regarding hours spent working for clients, working for the Firm, and working on administrative tasks.
- Meets all time entry and timesheet deadlines specified by the Firm, the Paralegal Department, and the Accounting Department.
- Bills a minimum of 1,536 creditable hours each performance evaluation year that begins April 1 and ends March 31 of which a minimum of 750 of those hours are client billable hours.
- Limits approved pro bono hours and approved firm representation (non-secretarial) hours to a maximum of 120 total hours during each performance evaluation year.
- Works a predictable schedule, and also provides flexibility in daily schedule to meet Firm’s needs during periods of heavy workload.
- Timely notifies both supervising lawyers, supervising paralegals, and the Sr. Director of Legal Support Services of any time out of the office during normal work hours.
- Reports the receipt of non-billable work to the Sr. Director of Legal Support Services upon receipt.
- Avoids overtime for non-billable assignments.
- Contacts supervising lawyers, supervising paralegals and Sr. Director of Legal Support Services when available for new assignments.
- Accepts accountability and responsibility for all work assignments.
- Adheres to The National Federation of Paralegal Association’s “Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.”
- Attends relevant legal education to continuously improve legal skills.