Legal Assistant

William Vaughn; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

William Vaughn in San Jose, CA is seeking an experienced Litigation Legal Assistant to support attorneys and paralegals in intellectual property and civil litigation matters. The role focuses on managing deadlines, filings, and staying organized across demanding caseloads.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of civil litigation support, strong Word/Outlook/PM tools, and the ability to coordinate depositions, filings, and billing tasks in a midsize law firm setting.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience supporting attorneys in civil litigation.
• Significant federal court filing, calendaring and procedural experience.
• Experience with California state court rules and electronic filing systems.
• Advanced Word skills including pleadings, TOCs, tables of authorities and redlining.
• Strong knowledge of litigation terminology, motion practice, discovery and deadlines.
• Ability to independently manage assignments for multiple attorneys or paralegals.
• Excellent proofreading, organization and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Legal Secretary Certificate is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, revise, format and proofread pleadings, motions, briefs, and other legal documents.
• Format tables of contents, tables of authorities, redlines and filings.
• File documents electronically with federal, CA state, and appellate courts.
• Calculate and calendar court deadlines, discovery obligations, hearings and depositions.
• Maintain attorney calendars and monitor case requirements.
• Coordinate depositions, court reporters, hearings and meetings.
• Organize exhibits and trial materials.
• Assist with time entry, billing, and accounts receivable follow up.
• Provide backup support to other administrative team members as needed.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

Proofreading and attention to detail

Time management

Independent multi-attorney management

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Legal Secretary Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Excel

PowerPoint

NetDocuments

ProLaw

Job description

We are a highly regarded Silicon Valley law firm seeking an experienced Litigation Legal Assistant for our San Jose office. We represent innovative companies and business leaders in sophisticated intellectual property and commercial disputes and are known for our high quality legal work, collaborative culture and commitment to client service.

The Litigation Legal Assistant will support attorneys and paralegals handling intellectual property and civil litigation matters. The successful candidate will be a proactive partner to our legal team, helping attorneys manage court deadlines, prepare accurate filings and stay organized across demanding caseloads.

Litigation Legal Assistant Responsibilities:

• Prepare, revise, format and proofread pleadings, motions, briefs, correspondence and other legal documents
• Format tables of contents, tables of authorities, redlines and court compliant filings
• File documents electronically with federal, California state and appellate courts
• Calculate and calendar court deadlines, discovery obligations, hearings and depositions
• Maintain attorney calendars and monitor upcoming case requirements
• Coordinate depositions, court reporters, hearings, meetings and other case related activities
• Organize exhibits, evidence, appendices, briefs and trial materials
• Maintain accurate electronic and administrative client files
• Communicate professionally with clients, courts, vendors and outside parties
• Coordinate attorney travel, event registration and expense reporting
• Assist with time entry, billing, invoice processing and accounts receivable follow up
• Provide backup support support to other administrative team members as needed

Litigation Legal Assistant Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience supporting attorneys in civil litigation
• Significant federal court filing, calendaring and procedural experience
• Experience with California state court rules and electronic filing systems
• Advanced Microsoft Word skills, including pleadings, tables of contents, tables of authorities and redlining
• Strong knowledge of litigation terminology, motion practice, discovery and case deadlines
• Ability to independently manage assignments for at least three attorneys or paralegals
• Exceptional proofreading, organization and attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Experience supporting intellectual property or class action litigation is preferred
• Previous experience with a midsized or regional law firm is preferred
• Familiarity with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, NetDocuments and ProLaw
• A Legal Secretary Certificate from an accredited program is a plus