Legal Support Assistant

• Track budget assumptions, keep track of spend on any brand-new matters that don’t yet have approved budgets; review weekly reports of Value of Time vs. Budget; keep deal lead apprised. Convert estimates of added hours to a matter for a specific timekeeper into dollars, bearing in mind the client’s / matter’s fee discount if applicable.
• Review weekly reports of billable time and follow up with professionals that have not released the prior weeks’ time. Participate in preparation calls for weekly client billing calls, and join those client calls to record final changes and decisions.
• Coordinate between deal lead, Billing & Collections team, and Client Value team. Ensure that invoices are added to client costs for record-keeping, in addition to approved discounted rates, if applicable.
• Review monthly and/or bi-monthly prebilling information in Excel Spreadsheet form, and coordinate billing attorneys’ time entry captures, correct narrative edits, apprise billing partners of performance to budget, prepare and edit spreadsheets regarding same.
• Obtain Fee estimates from attorneys and keep deal leads informed. Interact with Client Accounting contacts, especially with respect to budget and payment timing.
• Assist attorneys in daily activities, including arranging travel, preparing travel itineraries, coordinating incoming/outgoing mail, and emails, assisting clients, and practice group coordination.
• Set up and maintain case and client files in document management system.
• Coordinate work with the firm’s Administrative Resource Center team regarding certain firm administrative tasks, including processing new client matter requests, client bills, time entry and expense reports.
• Answering phones and taking messages, scheduling appointments, practice events, and coordinating meetings and calls for both client and practice group activities.
• Copy, distribute, send (electronically and/or via mail, courier or express service), file and otherwise handle completed work.
• Proofread and redline work for accuracy of copy, format, grammar, punctuation and syntax.
• Research information as requested by clients or attorneys.
• Maintain client contacts and working groups list.
• Coordinate work as needed with office, firm and third-party service departments, including Document Services, IT, Office Services, Conference Services, and Finance.
• Schedule, coordinate and track CLE requirements/adherence. 
• Provide back-up assistance, as needed, to attorneys or others in the practice group who require support.
• Accept overflow work from the Secretarial Manager and the Secretary Team Coordinators as needed.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Qualification (Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university.
• One (1) year of related internship or professional services experience preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency in MS Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint, and ability to work in various software applications, as needed.
• Ability to type at least 60 words per minute with accuracy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to organize self and others.
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail and ability to perform tasks accurately when under pressure, meet deadlines and facilitate solutions.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with appropriate discretion.
• Well-developed and professional interpersonal skills including the ability to work independently and as a member of a team, take initiative, set priorities, meet deadlines and milestones for projects and see projects through to completion.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, meet deadlines, handle multiple tasks, manage attorney expectations, and respond to changing priorities.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships within the office and firm, and with clients, vendors, and others outside the firm.
• Willingness and ability to assume new tasks and responsibilities.
• Strong service orientation, and an ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with users, peers, office and firm management, and outside business partners.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality of client and office information, the office and firm, and adhering to the Firm’s Core Values.