Associate Attorney

Mission Connect; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Law Firm in San Jose, CA seeks an Associate Attorney with 2+ years of experience in tax, trust, and estate matters. This role emphasizes client-facing, detail-oriented practice and collaboration with a respected firm.

Responsibilities include drafting estate planning documents, administering trusts, probate petitions, tax filings, and research. CA Bar membership and LL.M. in Taxation are preferred, with strong communication and time‑management skills.

Qualifications

• Active California Bar membership in good standing; LL.M. in Taxation preferred.
• 2–4 years direct experience in estate planning and post-death administration of trusts/probate estates.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with NetDocuments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Draft estate planning documents including revocable trusts, wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives
• Draft and administer irrevocable trusts for sophisticated gift, charitable, and life insurance planning
• Draft and prepare probate petitions and ancillary court documents; represent clients in probate court
• Assist clients with post-death administration of trusts and probate estates, including asset marshalling, accountings, subtrust funding, and distributions
• Review estate tax, gift tax, fiduciary income tax returns, and other filings with tax authorities
• Research and prepare memoranda on probate issues and state/federal tax issues
• Communicate regularly with clients, staff, and partners
• Support clients with compassion and professionalism
• Maintain and accurately record billable hours of at least 1,500 per year
• Attend professional conferences and gatherings locally and nationally
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Estate planning

Probate administration

Client communication

Microsoft Office

NetDocuments

Education

LL.M. in Taxation

Tools

Microsoft Office

NetDocuments

Job description

Job Title: Associate Attorney

Location: San Jose, CA

Company: Law Firm

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary Range: $175,000 - $200,000

We are seeking a Tax, Trust, and Estate Associate Attorney with at least two years of experience for our San Jose office. This role is ideal for an entry-to-mid level attorney who thrives in a client‑facing, detail‑oriented practice and desires to join a highly respected firm with deep expertise in taxation, trust, and estate law.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft estate planning documents including revocable trusts, wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives
• Draft and administer irrevocable trusts for the implementation of sophisticated gift, charitable, and life insurance planning
• Draft and prepare probate petitions and ancillary court documents; represent clients in probate court
• Assist clients with the post‑death administration of trusts and probate estates for both taxable and non‑taxable estates, including the marshalling and valuation of assets, the preparation of accountings, the funding of subtrusts, and the distribution of assets to beneficiaries
• Review estate tax returns, gift tax returns, fiduciary income tax returns, and other filings required by relevant tax authorities
• Research and prepare memoranda concerning probate issues, as well as state and federal income, estate, gift, and generation‑skipping transfer tax issues
• Communicate regularly and effectively with clients, internal staff, and partners
• Support clients with compassion and professionalism
• Maintain and accurately record billable hours of at least 1,500 per year
• Attend professional conferences and gatherings, both locally and nationally
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Active California Bar Membership in good standing (LL.M. in Taxation is preferred)
• At least two to four years of direct experience in estate planning and the post‑death administration of trusts and probate estates
• Competence across the Microsoft Office Suite (Experience with NetDocuments preferred)