Associate Attorney - Estate Planning

Douglass & Runger; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

401K

Unlimited PTO

CME & Bar Dues paid

Professional development

Job summary

Douglass & Runger in Memphis, TN seeks a probate and estate planning attorney to join our growing team. You will support senior lawyers, draft estate documents, and represent clients in court to ensure their loved one's wishes are honored.

A calming, compassionate presence is essential as you navigate emotionally challenging times. The role emphasizes client experience, professional development, and collaboration with the owner and attorneys.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to be compassionate with clients facing difficult circumstances.
• Detail-oriented with ability to plan and organize effectively.
• Comfortable appearing in court on a regular basis.
• Ability to craft estate planning documents for clients.
• Willingness to learn from senior attorneys.

Responsibilities

• Meet with potential new clients and conduct consultations for estate planning and probate matters.
• Support Senior Probate and Estate Planning lawyers in handling caseloads.
• Draft estate planning documents (Powers of Attorney, Trusts).
• Draft pleadings for probate and conservatorship matters.
• Appear in court as counsel for the Estate on hearings.
• Advocate for estate beneficiaries in contested estates.
• Ensure cases move forward within workflow for timely resolutions.
• Aim for high client satisfaction and timely resolution of concerns.

Skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Court appearances

Detail-oriented

Compassion

Independent decision-making

Estate planning drafting

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

If you want to help give clients peace of mind after the death of a loved one by navigating them through the probate process? Do you want to help clients ensure that their deceased loved one’s estate is distributed according to the deceased’s wishes? Are you the type of person who would enjoy assisting clients in removing a tremendous weight off their shoulders by crafting estate planning documents for their benefit that will remove all anxiety about their futures?

We are an rapidly growing law firm located in Memphis, TN that is on track for aggressive growth, and we need a probate and estate planning attorney to join our team and work directly with the owner and attorneys to support the team and help clients. We are looking for someone committed to creating an amazing client experience and who has the ability to be a calming and comforting presence for clients during a potentially anxious time.

Salary is commensurate with skill and experience and is negotiable. The compensation package includes base salary plus bonus compensation for production and performance. We offer benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as disability insurance and life insurance and 401K. We treat our lawyers like adults and as such, we offer unlimited PTO as well. We pay for Continuing Legal Education, Bar Dues, Professional Privilege Taxes and some approved voluntary bar memberships. Personal and professional development are critical to our Firm’s success and continued growth, so we offer real opportunities for personal and professional development.

• Meeting with potential new clients and conducting consultations for estate planning and probate matters.
• Supporting Senior Probate and Estate Planning lawyers in handling various components of their caseload.
• Drafting estate planning documents ranging from Powers of Attorney to Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts.
• Drafting pleadings for probate estate administration and conservatorship matters.
• Appearing in Court as counsel for the Estate on various estate-related hearings.
• Advocating for estate beneficiaries when necessary on contested probate estates.
• Ensuring that all cases are moving forward within the workflow with a timely resolution.
• Working to make client satisfaction a top priority and finding quick resolutions to client complaints and concerns.

Qualifications

• We need an attorney who possesses exceptional communication skills and problem-solving skills needed in order to work with all levels of staff and our clients.
• We need an attorney with a passion for working with people and who is able to show care and compassion to our clients who are dealing with emotionally difficult circumstances.
• You need to be detail-oriented and possess the ability to develop and apply comprehensive planning and organizing strategies to ensure projects are appropriately prioritized and resources are used effectively and efficiently.
• You need to be comfortable appearing in Court on a regular basis and show a willingness to learn from senior attorneys.
• We need an attorney who will be able to navigate the contested issues that can arise in estates and conservatorship procedures and possess the ability to advocate our clients’ position zealously.
• You must possess the ability to independently formulate sound decisions and select an effective course of action using available information.
• We need an attorney who possesses the ability to craft estate planning documents based upon our client's needs or the ability to learn how to craft estate planning documents on behalf of our clients.
• Skills and experience are important and valued, but your personality, character, intelligence, and integrity are also extremely important considerations.
• If we can’t count on you to show up in court on time, don’t apply.
• High-maintenance, humorless, self-entitled, or self-important individuals will not succeed in our Firm and need not apply.
• We are growing, and you will be called upon to wear many hats. We need someone who does not think that the occasional need to scan your own documents is “beneath you.”

Compensation

$70,000.00 - $90,000.00 base compensation (DOE), plus bonus compensation for hitting Firm KPIS.