Civil Defense Paralegal

AppleOne Employment Services; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

AppleOne Employment Services is recruiting a Civil Defense Paralegal for a growing South Carolina law firm in Columbia. The role supports attorneys through all phases of complex civil defense matters in a fast-paced environment.

Ideal candidates have 3–5 years of paralegal experience, strong civil litigation skills, and proficiency with CM/ECF and Microsoft Office. Direct hire with salary $50,000–$65,000 DOE.

Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of paralegal experience preferred.
• Experience with civil defense and civil litigation required.
• Proficiency with CM/ECF filing systems.
• Strong MS Office skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work in deadline-driven environment.
• Experience with billing and ABA task codes.

Responsibilities

• Support Attorneys with civil litigation from intake through resolution.
• Draft and organize pleadings, discovery, and case documents.
• File documents in Federal and State CM/ECF; meet court deadlines.
• Assist with case prep, mediations, document production, and trials.
• Track billable time using ABA task codes; assist billing.
• Communicate professionally with attorneys, clients, insurers, courts, and opposing counsel.

Skills

Paralegal experience

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

CM/ECF filing

Billing knowledge

Litigation support

Tools

ProLaw

Litigation document management system

CM/ECF systems

Job description

Job Summary

A growing South Carolina law firm is seeking an experienced Civil Defense Paralegal for a direct hire opportunity in Columbia, SC. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented legal professional with strong civil litigation experience who enjoys supporting attorneys through all stages of complex defense matters.

The Civil Defense Paralegal will work closely with attorneys, clients, insurance representatives, and internal legal teams in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. This is a strong opportunity for a paralegal who values professional stability, supportive leadership, meaningful case work, and a positive team culture where accuracy, initiative, and communication are valued.

Key Responsibilities

• Support attorneys with civil litigation matters from case intake through resolution.
• Draft, review, organize, and manage pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and case-related documents.
• File documents using Federal and State CM/ECF systems and maintain compliance with court procedures and deadlines.
• Assist with case preparation, mediations, document production, and trial-related tasks as needed.
• Track billable time accurately using ABA task codes and support billing-related processes.
• Communicate professionally with attorneys, clients, insurance companies, courts, and opposing counsel.

Compensation and Benefits

• Direct hire opportunity.
• Salary range: $50,000 to $65,000 per year DOE
• Location: Columbia, SC.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Manage civil litigation case files and support attorneys through all phases of the litigation process.
• Prepare, organize, and maintain pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and case documentation.
• Handle court filings through Federal and State CM/ECF systems.
• Support billing, document management, mediation preparation, and attorney-client communication.
• 3 to 5 years of relevant paralegal experience preferred.
• Experience with civil litigation cases required.
• Proficiency with Federal and State CM/ECF filing systems.
• Experience with billing processes and ABA task codes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Experience using a litigation document management system.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work closely with attorneys in a deadline-driven legal environment.
• High attention to detail, sound judgment, and a proactive approach to case support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with civil defense matters.
• Experience assisting with mediations.
• Experience using ProLaw.
• Experience working with insurance companies and clients.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

The Know Your Rights poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf

The pay transparency policy is available here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf

For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

AppleOne participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program: https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf

We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.