Legal Secretary or Paralegal – Civil Litigation

Job Description

Legal Secretary or Paralegal | Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP, located in California. Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP is a legal firm dedicated to providing excellent service and quality work product to its clients. The firm fosters a collaborative environment where staff and attorneys work together to achieve common goals. This role is essential in supporting the firm’s attorneys and ensuring the smooth operation of legal processes.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, California

• Mission: To provide essential administrative and paralegal support to attorneys, ensuring efficient management of legal processes and client service.
• Tech Stack: Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe, internet

What You’ll Actually Do
• Document Production: Produce, format, and edit legal documents efficiently while managing a heavy workload.
• Calendaring: Take ownership of managing electronic calendars for attorney appearances and deadlines, including manually calculating dates, to ensure compliance and maximize attorney productivity.
• Task Management: Multi-task effectively in a busy environment, prioritizing responsibilities without compromising the quality of work.
• Court Filings: Execute accurate e-filing procedures in California Superior and Federal Courts, leveraging knowledge of relevant court rules or diligently researching them.
• Team Support: Collaborate with the legal support team, providing flexible coverage for other secretaries as needed to maintain seamless firm operations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Candidates should possess a minimum of three years of experience in a law firm setting, demonstrating strong knowledge of civil litigation processes and procedures.
• Experience: Requires at least three years of professional experience in a law firm, with specific expertise in civil litigation. This includes extensive experience utilizing Microsoft products in a professional context and hands-on experience with e-filing in Superior and Federal Courts.
• Skills: Immediate working knowledge of Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe, and internet usage is essential, along with the ability to adhere to firm-specific styles and procedures. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, exceptional organizational abilities including multi-tasking, and meticulous attention to detail are critical. The role also demands the ability to manually calculate and determine legal dates.
• Bonus: A paralegal certificate, appellate experience, or labor and employment experience would be beneficial, though none are strictly required. Familiarity with California Courts is preferred.