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The Firm's Expectations of Employees:
Cosgrave Vergeer Kester LLP's goals are to provide the highest quality of legal services to our clients, within the area of our expertise, for fair and reasonable compensation; and to earn and maintain the respect of our clients, the courts, our colleagues, and the community.
To accomplish these goals the firms expects that our employees will:
- Be guided by the highest ethical and professional standards;
- Achieve and maintain excellence in their respective fields;
- Operate efficiently, so as to keep the cost to our clients as low as reasonably possible;
- Maintain a congenial atmosphere that encourages cooperative effort;
- Support your self-directed work team’s efforts to coordinate workflow within the office.
- Recognize and fulfill its obligations to the community and to the legal system, as well as to our clients; and
Always keep in mind that, while the firm must be profitable in order to exist, our ultimate function is service rather than profit.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: Paralegals are supervised by the partners to whom they are assigned. On a day-to-day basis they work under the supervision of partners and associates as assigned. Issues with workflow are managed by the Paralegal Coordinator and the Human Resources Director.
POSITION SUMMARY: Under the general supervision of an attorney, paralegals support the delivery of quality legal services to clients by performing tasks that require substantive knowledge regarding the matters to which they are assigned. Representative duties may include research and investigation; organizing and compiling relevant data and materials; reviewing, analyzing and summarizing documents; drafting memos, correspondence, and legal documents; cite checking and fact checking legal documents; and communicating with attorneys and clients regarding factual and organizational issues. This position exercises a moderate to high degree of discretion and independent judgment.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Essential functions include the following.
After the initial client interview and briefing on the background of the case issues with the attorney, the paralegal’s duties may include some or all of the following:
- Investigation and Factual Analysis: Traces documents and other physical evidence. Locates and assists in interviewing witnesses. Conducts research, including examining public records, public websites, and databases, and reviewing and analyzing evidentiary material.
- Case Information Management: Coordinates the organization of case materials and files to meet the unique needs of each case. Prepares summaries, abstracts, chronologies of events, casts of characters and statistical reports using the case materials. Coordinates with the litigation team working on the matter.
- Discovery: Assists in all phases of discovery.
- Reviews documents to identify potential deponents. As requested, production, prepares depo notices, subpoenas or subpoenas duces tecum. Retrieves and organizes case materials relevant to each witness who is to be deposed and prepares witness files or binders for the attorney(s). Identifies potentially relevant documents to use as exhibits. May attend certain depositions to handle exhibits and take notes. Compiles, reviews, and indexes deposition exhibits. Tracks deposition transcript corrections and witness signatures.
- Requests for Production. Reviews documents produced by other parties and checks for compliance with document requests. Arranges for the reproduction and/or scanning of produced documents. Drafts subpoenas duces tecum to obtain relevant documents from non-parties. Integrates documents from other parties and non-parties into the manual and/or computer-based systems, coordinating with the litigation support department as needed. Prepares fact memoranda regarding the production and reproduction of documents. Prepares status reports and recommends follow-up activities. Based on the documents received, prepares and/or updates chronologies, fact summaries and witness files as warranted. Reviews and summarizes medical records.
- Reviews discovery requests sent by other parties and prepares index of documents that are needed in order to respond to the requests for productions. Searches electronic and hard-copy case materials for the relevant documents. Obtains documents from clients as needed. Under supervision of case attorney(s), screens documents for relevance, privilege, and work product, as well as for compliance with the document requests. Assembles and maintains privilege and document production logs. Supervises the review and photocopying of originals by opposing counsel. Prepares fact memoranda regarding the production and reproduction of documents. Prepares status reports and recommends follow-up activities.
- Research: Assists attorneys in identifying issues of fact and compiles substantive support for contentions. Includes reviewing documents, and use of internet resources. Summarizes research results.
- Settlements: Prepares materials and data to assist the attorneys in preparing for settlement conferences, including an up-to-date summary of the status of discovery activities. Assists in the preparation of materials and data for settlement conferences.
- Trial, Hearing, Arbitration and Mediation: Prepares and organizes exhibits and drafts exhibit roster. Organizes trial/arbitration/mediation notebooks or databases. Assists in preparing witness lists, subpoenas, pre-trial orders, and jury instructions. Arranges witnesses’ attendance. Coordinates or assists in the preparation of visual aids and supporting documentation. On occasion may be requested to attend trial, hearing, arbitration, or mediation to coordinate and monitor exhibits and exhibit roster. Sets-up and coordinates off-site trial facilities.
- Teamwork: Demonstrates effective teamwork and provides assistance to other Paralegals as time permits. Works cooperatively and collaboratively with other departments and individuals in the firm.
- Productivity: Prepares and completes work within timeframes established for each legal matter. Prepares and submits time sheets on a timely basis. Meets the firm’s productivity expectations regarding billable hours. Paralegals are expected to work additional or overtime as required.
- Professional Development: Paralegals are responsible for participating in training provided by the firm and for participating in external continuing education as needed to maintain their knowledge and competency in their practice area.
- Other: Performs other related duties as assigned.
- Attendance: Regular and predictable attendance is required to perform this job.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.
- Education: Bachelor’s Degree or certificate from an ABA approved Paralegal training program or equivalent work experience is required.
- Experience: Litigation Paralegals are required to have at least two years of Litigation Paralegal and/or Case Clerk experience; prior experience working on complex litigation cases is required.
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Substantive knowledge of the procedures, terminology and documents relating to complex litigation matters, products liability, and toxic tort cases.
- Outstanding organizational skills, interpersonal skills, delegation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to both understand the “big picture” and pay attention to detail.
- Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office software (Word, Outlook, Excel), LEXIS, Westlaw, and other law office software.
- Excellent analytical skills and the ability to understand and summarize case-related documents.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Ability to work effectively within a team environment and to work proactively.
- Strong time management skills and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment manage and meet case work deadlines; ability to coordinate multiple tasks concurrently.
- Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of the requirements that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a telephone, computer keyboard and mouse; reach with hands and arms; talk and listen. The employee is frequently required to walk and sit, as well as to lift and carry or move objects such as books, files, and boxes of files weighing up to 30 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to stand, stoop or kneel. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
- Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job, including moderate noise level, an indoor temperate environment, and light levels that are bright and conducive to minimal eye strain, typical for an office environment.
SCOPE OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND MODIFICATIONS: This job description intends to describe the general nature of the job and does not represent that all such duties will be performed by all individuals who hold the job. This job description does not limit the tasks that an employee may reasonably be requested to perform and in no way alters the firm’s at-will employment policy. Changes to this job description may be made at the discretion of the firm. Any substantive revisions to this job description require the approval of the human resources director.
