Legal Assistant - Litigation (Chicago)

About the Role

Taft is currently seeking a Litigation Legal Assistant to join our team in our Chicago office. We are seeking a Litigation Legal Assistant with 5+ years' experience to support our Chicago office. A Legal Assistant serves clients by providing administrative support to attorneys and paralegals. All Taft employees operate under a "Client First" philosophy—in all things, we seek to provide exceptional services to our clients.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides proactive administrative support for Litigation attorneys and paralegals
• May assist in other practice areas, as needed
• Displays strong attention to detail
• Exhibits outstanding client service orientation in greeting guests, responding to work requests, scheduling meetings, and conducting telephone conferences
• Maintains strict confidentiality of matters and information
• Responds to requests with a sense of urgency and effectively prioritizes work
• Interacts with court personnel, attorneys and staff in a professional manner to obtain and provide data, answer questions, and resolve problems
• Prepares and reviews letters and memoranda according to Firm standards using word processing and document management systems
• Proactively monitors deadlines and docket entries
• Processes requests for payment and reimbursements
• Creates, maintains and retires files in accordance with Taft's Information Governance Policy
• Assists in managing client contacts, emails, and print documents as well as processing mail
• Clearly communicates in a concise, professional manner
• Transcribes dictation
• Files documents with courts electronically
• Drafts documents and filings

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office programs is required
• Proficiency with Kofax/Nuance, InTapp, LMS+, iManage, or equivalent programs preferred
• Knowledge of the litigation process and general court operations
• Ability to read and identify pleadings and other documents related to a litigation matter
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to reason and apply common sense understanding to resolve problems and carry out instructions furnished verbally or in writing
• Ability to occasionally work more than 40 hours per week
• Organize a large volume of documents by saving to various document management systems
• Prepare, edit, format and proofread a variety of documents (correspondence, pleadings, discovery)
• Maintain calendars to track deadlines and status of cases, coordinate and schedule meetings, depositions, conference calls and sends calendar invites and reminders
• Experience in E-filing documents with various courts

Education and Experience

• 5+ years' Litigation legal assisting experience in a law firm or other legal setting
• Education beyond high school or coursework related to the legal industry preferred
• Ability to read, understand and interpret complex documents such as pleadings and other documents related to a litigation matter

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life, long-term disability, and flexible spending
• 401K
• Paid Time Off and paid holidays
• Bonus

Pay

The salary range for this position is $60,000 – $82,000. Actual compensation offer to candidate may vary from posted information based on work experience, education, and/or skill level.