Legal Assistant (Litigation)

McCarthy Tétrault LLP; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm is seeking a Legal Assistant in Litigation to provide support in their Toronto office. The role involves document preparation, court coordination, and file management responsibilities. Ideal candidates will possess a Legal Assistant Diploma with at least 3 years of experience, emphasizing attention to detail and strong time management skills.

Benefits

Outstanding benefits from day one

Competitive compensation and paid overtime

Generous time off, including a day for your birthday

Commitment to professional development

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience as a litigation legal assistant.
• In-depth knowledge of legal terminology, court rules, and procedures.
• Strong word processing, proofreading, and editing skills.

Responsibilities

• Preparing and revising litigation documents.
• Assisting lawyers with hearing preparation and court filings.
• Managing files and calendars for assigned lawyers.

Skills

Attention to detail

Time management

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking

Confidentiality

Education

Legal Assistant Diploma or equivalent

Job description

1 week ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Job Description

McCarthy Tétrault is a Canadian law firm that offers a full suite of legal and business solutions to clients in Canada and around the world. At McCarthy Tétrault, we offer challenging and rewarding career opportunities in our offices in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and Vancouver. We are delighted to have been selected for the eleventh consecutive year in 2023 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and to have earned the distinction of one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the thirteenth consecutive year in 2025. Our culture is built on professional excellence, collaboration, innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurialism. We embrace inclusion in all its forms and we provide the tools and opportunities to help our people develop to their full potential.

Job Description

McCarthy Tétrault is a Canadian law firm that offers a full suite of legal and business solutions to clients in Canada and around the world. At McCarthy Tétrault, we offer challenging and rewarding career opportunities in our offices in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and Vancouver. We are delighted to have been selected for the eleventh consecutive year in 2023 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and to have earned the distinction of one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the thirteenth consecutive year in 2025. Our culture is built on professional excellence, collaboration, innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurialism. We embrace inclusion in all its forms and we provide the tools and opportunities to help our people develop to their full potential.

We are recruiting for a Legal Assistant in Litigation to join our team in the Toronto office. The successful candidate must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a legal assistant in general commercial litigation. The individual in this position will be responsible for working on court documents, calendar management, document revisions and file management for their lawyers. McCarthy Tétrault employees benefit from a hybrid work environment with 3 days in the office per week.

As a Legal Assistant (Litigation), you will be :

Documents

• Preparing, editing, formatting, printing, scanning and revising correspondence, memoranda, litigation documents, reports, forms, labels and other printed material through dictation, copy typing or other instructions, in accordance with the requirements set by the practice group.
• Coordinating and dispersing tasks to be performed by various resource groups such as the Document Specialists, Administrative Clerks, Billing Assistants, etc. where appropriate while ensuring tasks are completed in a timely manner.
• Proofreading documents and checking for appropriate formatting, spelling, grammar and clarity.

Litigation

• Assisting lawyers in the preparation and coordination of hearings and trials; recording and monitoring court appearance dates, pleadings and filing requirements.
• Preparing basic court pleadings or other courtroom visuals.
• Coordinating service and filing of proceedings with agencies and courts.
• Scheduling and coordinating discoveries, expert witnesses or other court-designated hearings. Monitoring evidence gathering.
• Maintaining an in-depth knowledge of legal terminology, court rules and procedures as well as medical terminology where applicable.

File and Time Management

• Managing files including : opening new files, maintaining large and complex files, developing, maintaining and utilizing an orderly filing and retrieval system to ensure ease of reference to historical paper or electronic records, organizing law and precedent files.
• Working with Records Management and Administrative Clerks to create, maintain and store client files as appropriate.
• Managing key dates including physical bring forward system and updating calendars for assigned lawyers, including their meetings, appointments, due dates and client-related activities.
• Coordinating lawyer travel arrangements, including preparing itineraries and travel expense reports. Updating contact names and addresses in the client database on a regular basis.
• Coordinating client meetings, including scheduling rooms and arranging for needed catering or audio-visual equipment.

Mail, Fax and Phone Reception Functions

• Reviewing and routing incoming mail and fax communications; preparing and processing outgoing mail and faxes; and arranging for specialized mail or messenger services as required.
• Receiving, handling, screening and / or directing incoming calls as directed by lawyers; responding to routine inquiries and requests from clients; and taking messages as required.

Financial and Administrative Functions

• Working with Finance to coordinate new Client and Matter openings (KYC);
• Coordinating activities with functional area staff (Office Services, Marketing, etc.), as needed.
• Providing consistent backup support when assistants are absent; providing support to assistants who may be managing multiple tasks and / or difficult deadlines; and working proactively as a positive and productive member of the team.

Other

• Maintaining and updating job knowledge and technical skills by identifying and participating in education opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned.

As our ideal candidate, you will distinguish yourself by the following profile :

• Legal Assistant Diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years of experience as a litigation legal assistant.
• In-depth knowledge of legal terminology, court rules and procedures.
• Strong attention to detail and superior word processing, spelling, proofreading and editing skills.
• Capacity to perform duties with speed and accuracy.
• Strong time management, organizational and multi-tasking skills and ability to work under pressure to meet important deadlines.
• Ability to follow-up on files and delays with minimal supervision.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality.
• Flexibility to occasionally work overtime.

As a member of the McCarthy team, you will have access to :

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm and wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Competitive compensation, paid overtime and generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• A commitment to professional development and growth opportunities for our people at all levels, supported by a culture that fully embraces and encourages two-way feedback.
• Strong community involvement and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A collaborative, cohesive culture that connects lawyers and business teams through collective purpose.

How to Apply :

We encourage external candidates to apply online and internal applicants must apply directly through our internal careers portal on Espresso. We look forward to receiving your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest in McCarthy Tétrault; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status. McCarthy Tétrault is an equal opportunity employer that fosters an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment. Please notify us if you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.

Seniority level

Seniority level

Associate

Employment type

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Job function

Legal

Law Practice

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Legal Assistant Litigation • Toronto, ON, Canada