Litigation Paralegal – Environmental Litigation

Job Description

Litigation Paralegal | Bernard Nickels & Associates

The Tone:
This is a permanent role at Bernard Nickels & Associates, located in New York, NY. The firm’s Environmental Unit specializes in legal services, and this position supports attorneys with critical litigation and trial preparations. The role is essential for the team’s success, offering a chance to contribute to meaningful and often high-profile cases. It requires robust organizational skills and excellent communication to thrive in a demanding environment.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Perm
• Location: In-person, New York, NY
• Pay: $50000–$60000 yearly
• Team: Environmental Unit
• Mission: Provide comprehensive paralegal support to attorneys in the Environmental Unit, ensuring efficient litigation and trial preparation for critical cases.
• Tech Stack: Legal software, project management tools, Microsoft Suite

What You’ll Actually Do
• Support trial preparation by coordinating witness testimony, preparing comprehensive trial exhibits, and meticulously organizing exhibit lists and witness lists to ensure attorneys are fully prepared for court proceedings.
• Conduct thorough factual and legal research, systematically reviewing and analyzing cases, and researching statutes, regulations, legal articles, judicial decisions, and other legal sources. Compile gathered case information, relevant documents, deposition transcripts, court opinions, and expert reports, providing clear written analysis to attorneys.
• Manage case communications and deadlines by actively monitoring client-related mailboxes, case notifications, and calendars. Work closely with attorneys to meet critical deadlines, and effectively communicate with attorneys, paralegals, clients, witnesses, and experts regarding assigned cases or projects.
• Prepare and coordinate legal documentation by drafting various correspondence, including letters to clients, courts, and opposing counsel. Prepare detailed summaries of depositions, trial testimony, medical records, and other discovery materials, and coordinate with clients to gather and prepare relevant discovery for production.
• Organize and maintain case files by establishing, organizing, and meticulously maintaining attorney trial and case files, expert witness materials, document indices, and lists. Additionally, coordinate the execution and ongoing maintenance of estate matters and documents as needed.

The Must-Haves
• Background: A Bachelor’s degree is a required qualification for this early-career Litigation Paralegal role. Ideal candidates will possess a foundational background in civil litigation, ready to support attorneys in complex legal proceedings within the Environmental Unit.
• Experience: A minimum of 1+ years of paralegal experience is preferred, indicating a need for foundational practical exposure to legal support functions.
• Skills: Candidates must demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, combined with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Robust organizational abilities and the capacity to manage multiple tasks under time constraints are essential. Proficiency in legal terminology, learning and utilizing legal software, project management tools, and Microsoft Suite is also required. Furthermore, the ability to proofread material meticulously for contextual, grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors, along with strong attention to detail, is critical, alongside the ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise good judgment.
• Bonus: Preferred qualifications include proficiency in legal principles, research methods, and court pleadings and processes. The role offers an opportunity for occasional travel to assist attorneys with out-of-state trials, requiring adaptability for such assignments.