Legal Administrative Assistant

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive.  Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm.  Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career.  Let’s see what we can achieve. Together.

Summary

The Legal Administrative Assistant is a member of the Legal Support Services (LSS) team. This position provides high quality and efficient legal support services to timekeepers and business professionals within the disputes and transactions verticals. Works collaboratively within a team and with other firm departments to provide a broad range of legal and administrative support, including document production and project management. This position possesses strong practice area knowledge and maintains professional relationships by providing superior service to firm lawyers and clients.

Location:

This position can sit in our Pittsburgh office and offers a Hybrid work schedule working at least three days in the office.

Responsibilities

• The Legal Administrative Assistant may be assigned in one of the below capacities as part of the LSS team:

  • Supports lawyers and business professionals within the LegalSupportSuite and acts a point of contact for lawyers within a practice area vertical.

  • Assigned to partners and other lawyers, providing direct support to them within a practice area vertical.

• Proactively monitors firm delegation tool and accepts and completes incoming assignments. Delegates work appropriately to team members and resources using firm delegation tool. Communicates with team members and lawyers to ensure accurate and timely completion of work.

• Maintains professional relationships with clients, business contacts, courts, and professional organizations on behalf of the firm and its lawyers.

• Creates and edits a variety of documents including agreements, pleadings, spreadsheets, presentations and reports.

• Drafts correspondence, e-mails, creates shell/templates of legal documents and facilitates court filings (as required).

• Reads, interprets, and prepares legal documents to anticipate and assume responsibility for substantive tasks and projects assigned. Proofreads documents/work products for consistency, content, grammar, and spelling.

• Plans, coordinates, and ensures lawyer Outlook calendars are maintained; identifies and resolves scheduling conflicts; coordinates complex travel itineraries.

• Coordinates meetings, assists with agendas and preparation of meeting materials.

• Communicates timely and effectively with lawyers and business professionals to ensure seamless support and coverage.

• Assist new and existing lawyers and business professionals by maintaining knowledge of firm departments and resources.

• Handles various tasks related to monthly billing.

• Performs administrative tasks related to timekeeper compliance requirements and professional organizations.

• Understands and adheres to best practices within LSS Department, practice groups and firm technology.

• Other duties as assigned.

Desired Skills

The below job competencies and skills are required for the Legal Administrative Assistant position in order to perform the job successfully.

Job Competencies

• Provides relevant and timely information in a professional, courteous, and effective manner.

• Maintains confidential information in a professional and trustworthy manner.

• Possesses excellent judgment, a professional demeanor, and strong work ethic. Uses discretion maintaining confidential information in a trustworthy manner.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Takes ownership of work assignments and projects.

• Ability to think proactively, prioritize work, and multitask.

Job Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills to interact with team members, lawyers, clients and other firm departments on a daily basis.

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the ability to learn firm-specific programs and software applications as required.

• Ability to perform advanced document formatting, conversions and redlining.

• Possesses strong practice area knowledge with the ability to understand legal terminology and documentation.

• Project management skills to appropriately to accomplish tasks and meet deadlines.

• Excellent time management, organizational and problem-solving skills.

• Solid document production skills, attention to detail, and ability to proofread for accuracy and content of work.

• Remains current in technical skills and practice area knowledge by taking offered online courses and attending organized meetings and training.

Minimum Education

• High School Diploma

Preferred Education

• Bachelor's Degree

Minimum Years of Experience

• 2 years administrative experience in a law firm or professional services organization. May require related practice area experience.

Essential Job Expectations

While the specific job requirements of a DLA Piper position may vary depending upon scope of the job and area of specialty, there are certain universal requirements that are expected of all DLA Piper employees, which include but are not limited to:

• Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties;

• Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner;

• Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product;

• Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required;

• Foster positive work relationships;

• Comply with all firm policies and practices;

• Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed;

• Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.

Our employees are expected to embrace and uphold our firm values as a part of our DLA Piper culture. We are committed to excellence in how we represent our clients and develop our people.

Physical Demands
Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Work Environment

• Requires regular in-office presence, with some flexibility to work from home upon approval. The firm’s in-office work requirements may be modified in the firm’s discretion.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm’s discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to permit individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions and responsibilities of the position or to participate in the job selection process.

Agency applications will not be considered.

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position.

#LI-Hybrid

#LI-JH1

DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Job applicant poster viewing center.