Paralegal

Company: Sauber Legal Services LLC
Location: Minneapolis
Posted on: May 27, 2023

Job Description:

Are you a motivated person that is interested in working in a challenging area of practice? Do you want a fast-paced work environment? Our firm may be a great fit!



--- ABOVE ALL ELSE, the candidate must be honest and have integrity with the highest ethical standards.
--- "Get up and go." Motivated, requires little supervision or direction.
--- Must be computer/tech-savvy.
--- Radical candor is encouraged and practiced.
--- Emotionally intelligent and compassionate individuals with strong customer service skills are encouraged to apply.
--- Yearning to learn.
--- Administrative tasks.
--- Currently an in-person position, with the possibility of flexible remote work in the future. We have a four-day work week - Monday through Thursday.
--- Salary is commensurate with experience and knowledge in a law firm or clinic working with confidential information in a direct-service position.
--- At-will employment.
--- Candidate must be willing to submit to a background check.
--- No medical/dental insurance (yet...).
--- 401(k) with employer matching.
--- Student loan CARES Act repayment.
--- Other perks!!

If you're looking to fill an invaluable position at a firm and love helping others, apply today.

Responsibilities:

Perform administrative duties such as answering phone calls and keeping our case filing system organized so all documents are readily accessible
Gather information about legal issues from the client in interviews
Assist lawyers in preparing legal documentation, pleadings, and correspondence including correspondence such as interrogatories, subpoenas, deposition notices, complaints, pretrial orders, legal briefs, and affidavits
Work with lawyers to prepare for trial by conducting research on legal articles, preparing and organizing exhibits, organizing and coordinating witnesses, filing motions, and assisting with client meetings
Coordinate law office activity, including the drafting subpoenas and coordinating with process servers
DAY-TO-DAY DETAILS:
Hospitality/Reception
--- We are a small office, so in addition to more traditional paralegal tasks, the candidate would be asked to step in and perform office administrative tasks -- open/scan mail, order supplies, run errands, arrange couriers, empty the dishwasher, clean conference rooms after meetings, and greet or provide coffee/hospitality for clients. The client experience comes first, so we all (attorneys and staff alike) do our part to ensure the clients are comfortable, informed, and happy.

Intake/Phones/Scheduling
--- Our firm uses Clio Grow and Manage as our intake software and client management (billing) software. Timekeeping is expected of all staff as a means of tracking time (billable, admin, or unbillable - it is all input).
--- Answer and respond to client calls or emails. Take detailed messages.
--- Send and review intake forms/questionnaires, collect additional docs, facts, background, or applicable law about prospective clients.
--- Prepare a pre-meeting summary ("Exhibit") of assets, income, expenses, and client finances before long-term care planning meetings.
--- Cross-check and validate unverified information.
--- Input prospective client, client, adverse party, and professional contacts (including organizations and firms) into Clio and add as relationships in related matters.
--- The candidate must be tech-savvy and be able to navigate cloud-based programs with ease.
--- Scheduling includes prospective client initial meetings, signing meetings (ensuring two witnesses) for existing clients, sending details to confirm both remote or in-person meetings (email Zoom details or confirm in person with directions to the firm), and helping the attorney with scheduling marketing/professional meetings, lunches or social meetings, as needed.

File Organization/Case or Matter Management
--- Everything in or out gets scanned and saved! Help ensure proper electronic file management with proper naming conventions.
--- Prepare draft client correspondence for attorney review.
--- Proof and edit documents and correspondence for accuracy.
--- Monitor timelines/deadlines and work with the team to ensure the case stays on track.
--- Attend and lead team weekly standup meetings (as appropriate).
--- Organize and track case file documents in Dropbox, Clio, etc.
--- Manage client matters (set expectations with clients, collect information, and keep matters on time).
--- Perform records research (such as pull public documents from MCRO, look up real estate deeds/property tax statements, review and save relevant statutes, cite-check pleadings, etc.)
--- Create a docket index for any matters with court cases - that matches the Court's docket.
--- Ensure court dates are calendared and tickled (reminders) on the appropriate firm/attorney calendars.
--- Assist with drafting of estate planning documents, and long-term care planning Reports with recommendations, pleadings/motions, and perform legal research or client reconnaissance (trust yet verify) as needed using firm forms and templates.
--- Redact sensitive non-public information from pleadings for the attorney to review before filing.
--- Litigation assistance includes bates-label documents, proper redaction, organizing files/documents, preparing the index for pleadings/discovery docs/docket files, and preparing initial discovery requests/responses for attorney review.
--- Schedule publication and mail timely notices or service of process.
--- Coordinate couriers, document delivery/pick up, etc.
--- Database hygiene, managing duplicates or removing bad records, etc.
--- Keep clients informed of all incoming or outgoing pleadings or correspondence related to their matters.

Client File Opening/Closing
--- Our office is (as much as possible) paperless, so this candidate must be comfortable with electronic file management, confidentiality, and security (conscious of working with sensitive or privileged client information).
--- Send documents for electronic signature through Adobe Sign, remind clients about signing, and save signed documents. Familiarity with Adobe Acrobat Pro and redaction, flattening PDFs for future filing or redaction, and adding, inserting, replacing, or revising PDF files.
--- The candidate should be able to navigate Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat Pro, LastPass, Dropbox, and other programs with ease. Someone familiar with Tyler Host Odyssey e-filing, Simplifile recording (real estate), and Clio Grow and Manage programs is a shoo-in.

Qualifications:

At least 3 years of experience in legal services under an attorney or lawyer in a law firm setting
Candidates should possess high-level organizational skills, and time-management skills
Talented communicator and writer
Must have completed an ABA-approved paralegal certificate program such as an Associate's degree or proprietary school program in paralegal studies, Bachelor's degree desired
A Good Fit Has:
--- Interest in learning more about elder law and the many facets of the area of practice.
--- Top-notch communication skills!
--- "Get up and go."
--- Dislike of being micromanaged - a strong desire to learn, problem-solve, and create efficient systems.
--- Comfort with learning new technology.
--- Adaptability.
--- High emotional intelligence and can "read a room".

About Company:
Our firm practices primarily in elder law, estate/tax planning, probate, guardianship & conservatorship, and litigation/mediation in those areas. Elder law is a challenging area of law and brings with it a great opportunity for growth, learning, and cross-profession collaboration. The nature of our practice is high-touch, high-emotion, and fast-paced. That translates to lots of emergency matters and contested cases, so we switch gears regularly throughout the day to address timely matters. Someone with a background in nursing (triage of emergencies), social work (managing clients in stressful situations), or HR would be an awesome fit for this practice area. If you enjoyed that type of environment, and want direct client contact, you will thrive in this practice area. There is never a dull moment!

Keywords: Sauber Legal Services LLC, Minneapolis , Paralegal, Legal , Minneapolis, Minnesota