Associate

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLC; Pensacola (FL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k)

Profit-sharing plan

Bar dues

Continuing legal education

Professional liability coverage

Job summary

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, a national plaintiffs' firm headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, is seeking one to two associates with one to four years of litigation experience to join the Pensacola office. You will work across our mass tort and complex litigation docket from day one, handling depositions, dispositive motions, and strategy with partners who lead the docket.

The role requires strong legal writing and courtroom initiative.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school with a strong academic record.
• Florida Bar admission, or eligibility and willingness to sit for the next available exam.
• One to four years of litigation experience; federal court and complex or multi-party litigation experience is a significant plus.
• Judicial clerkship, law review, or moot court experience is a plus.
• Exceptional legal writing, demonstrated by your record and by the cover letter you send us.

Responsibilities

• Take and defend depositions, brief dispositive and expert motions, and work directly with experts.
• Argue in federal court and contribute to strategy in cases with novel issues and large records.
• Produce compelling briefs that judges actually read and strive for excellence in courtroom performance.

Skills

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Education

J.D. from accredited law school

Florida Bar admission or eligibility

Judicial clerkship / moot court experience

Job description

About AWKO

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz is a national plaintiffs' firm headquartered in Pensacola, Florida. We represent individuals and classes in multidistrict litigation, class actions, and consolidated mass tort proceedings against pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, consumer product companies, and other corporate defendants.

We are recognized leaders in this work. Federal courts have repeatedly appointed our attorneys to lead some of the largest coordinated proceedings in the country, and the firm and its lawyers have been recognized by the profession accordingly. We represent those who have harmed as a result of others negligence, malfeasance and/or greed. These wrong doers typically hire the best-resourced defense firms in the country. We are looking for attorneys who are up for that challenge.

The Role

We are hiring one or two associates with one to four years of litigation experience to join the firm in Pensacola. You will work across our mass tort and complex litigation docket from day one, alongside the partners who lead it. Expect to take and defend depositions, brief dispositive and expert motions, work directly with experts, argue in federal court, and contribute to strategy in cases where the law is unsettled and the outcomes affect thousands of people.

Who We Are Looking For

Most litigation associates spend their early years learning to be adequate. We are looking for the few who are already past that and are frustrated they're not being given more. You write briefs that judges actually read, and you can tell the difference between an argument that is correct and one that persuades. You are composed and precise in a deposition, you prepare harder than the person across the table, and you want to be on your feet in a courtroom years before most firms would allow it.

People trust you quickly, and you keep earning it: clients, co-counsel, experts, court staff.

You are drawn to hard problems. Defense counsel in our cases are the elite of the profession, and you should find that motivating rather than intimidating. The legal issues are often novel, the record is enormous, and the pressure is real. You should want that. And you should care that the work means something, because it does: when we win, people who were hurt by companies far more powerful than they are get some measure of justice. We will give you more responsibility than you'd get almost anywhere else at this stage. In exchange, we expect you to take it seriously, take feedback well, and get better every month.

Requirements:

• J.D. from an accredited law school with a strong academic record
• Florida Bar admission, or eligibility and willingness to sit for the next available exam
• One to four years of litigation experience; federal court and complex or multi-party litigation experience is a significant plus
• Judicial clerkship, law review, or moot court experience is a plus
• Exceptional legal writing, demonstrated by your record and by the cover letter you send us

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary of $75,000 to $150,000, depending on experience and demonstrated ability. Like most plaintiff-side firms, base salary is only part of total compensation. Our attorneys are eligible for annual discretionary bonuses tied to individual contribution and firm-wide performance, and for our strongest performers those bonuses represent a substantial share of what they earn. Full benefits package, including health insurance, 401(k), and participation in the firm's profit-sharing plan. The firm also covers bar dues, continuing legal education, and professional liability coverage.

• Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz is an equal opportunity employer.