Legal Assistant

La Follette, Johnson, DeHaas, Fesler & Ames; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

La Follette, Johnson, DeHaas, Fesler & Ames seeks an experienced Legal Secretary for its civil litigation defense practice in Santa Ana, CA. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of litigation experience, preferably in medical malpractice defense, and the ability to manage a busy desk while supporting multiple attorneys.

The role requires strong knowledge of California litigation procedures, calendaring, court filing requirements, and case management.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years in litigation as a secretary or legal assistant.
• Civil litigation experience required; defense preferred.
• Knowledge of California state and federal procedures, filing requirements, and local rules.
• Proficiency in calendaring and calculating court deadlines.
• Experience with electronic filing and service.
• Strong proofreading and document preparation skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide litigation support to multiple attorneys at all case stages.
• Draft, format, and proofread pleadings, notices, correspondence, and other documents.
• Finalize pleadings for electronic filing in CA state and federal courts.
• Calendar hearings, depositions, discovery, motion deadlines, and trial dates.
• Schedule depositions, hearings, mediations, and expert meetings.
• Assist with discovery, including creating shells and organizing production materials.
• Organize and send medical records, imaging, transcripts, and materials to experts.
• Coordinate with experts on scheduling and trial availability.
• Assist with trial preparation and exhibit organization.
• Maintain electronic case files with accurate labeling and storage.
• Open and process new matters per firm procedures.
• Provide coverage and assistance to other attorneys and staff as needed.

Skills

Litigation support

Calendaring

E-filing knowledge

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Electronic case/document management systems

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Legal Secretary to join our civil litigation defense practice. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of litigation experience, preferably in medical malpractice defense, and be comfortable managing a busy desk and supporting multiple attorneys. This position requires knowledge of California litigation procedures, calendaring, court filing requirements, and case management. We are looking for someone who takes initiative, is detail-oriented, and can effectively manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide litigation support to multiple attorneys throughout all stages of a case.
• Draft, format, and proofread pleadings, deposition notices, correspondence, and other legal documents.
• Finalize pleadings for electronic filing in California State and Federal Courts.
• Calendar and track hearings, depositions, discovery, motion deadlines, trial dates and other litigation events, ensuring attorney calendars are accurate and up to date.
• Schedule and confirm depositions, hearings, mediations, expert meetings, and other case-related events.
• Assist with discovery, including preparing shells and organizing documents for production.
• Organize and send medical records, imaging , deposition transcripts and other case materials to experts for review.
• Coordinate with experts regarding scheduling, depositions, and trial availability.
• Assist with trial preparation, including exhibits, witness and expert materials, trial binders, and other trial-related documents.
• Organize and maintain electronic case files, ensuring pleadings, correspondence, discovery, and other documents are accurately labeled and saved.
• Open and process new matters in accordance with firm procedures.
• Provide coverage and assistance to other attorneys and staff as needed.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a litigation legal secretary or legal assistant.
• Civil litigation experience required; defense experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of California State and Federal court procedures, filing requirements, and local rules.
• Strong understanding of litigation calendaring and calculation of court deadlines.
• Experience with electronic filing and electronic service.
• Strong proofreading, formatting, and document preparation skills.
• Ability to manage a busy desk supporting multiple attorneys and competing deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize assignments and follow through without losing track of deadlines.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, and electronic case/document management systems.