A national law firm, is seeking an experienced litigation legal assistant (secretary) for its Tampa office. The legal assistant provides direct support to a team of attorneys involved in employment-related litigation (DEFENSE) before administrative agencies and state and federal courts. The assistant assists attorneys in the delivery of quality legal services to clients who perform complex and specialized legal tasks and work collaboratively and cooperatively with others in a team-oriented environment. This is an onsite position.

Responsibilities:

• Handles office correspondence and administrative tasks such as answering phone calls; communicating with clients, court clerks, and outside vendors; responding to emails, and routinely reviewing and following up on client deadlines and calendar appointments
• Assists attorneys in all phases of the litigation discovery process; helping attorneys prepare for hearings, arbitrations, and trials. Performs bates numbering and redacting, and e-files documents with various state and federal courts
• Processes monthly expense reports, and upon request, accurately enters, reviews, and revises timekeeper time entries
• Accurately formats and proofreads legal documents for grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors, and completeness prior to distribution or filing
• Maintains and organizes physical and electronic files
• Exhibits good judgment and organizational skills to receive, record, and disseminate all information on behalf of clients and assigned attorneys
• Coordinates meeting arrangements (i.e., arbitrations, depositions, mediations, etc.)
• Oversees the conflict check and client intake process for new matters
• Completes assigned tasks as expected. Able to juggle multiple assignments and/or deadlines while maintaining a professional demeanor and timely seeks assistance when needed

Qualifications:

• Applicants must be able to type at least 65 WPM
• A high school diploma or equivalent is required; an associate or bachelor’s degree is a plus
• Minimum four years of solid DEFENSE litigation experience including Florida and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
• Intermediate to advance skills in the use of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), time entry and e-Filing, and knowledge of an electronic document management system is preferred
• Excellent interpersonal/communication skills, and strong writing/grammar skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines with quick turnaround timesMaintains a positive, “can-do” attitude when dealing with clients, co-workers, and attorneys
• Proven organizational skills, high dependability, initiative, flexibility, resiliency, and a pleasant disposition are essential attributes for this position