Legal Assistant/Secretary (Civil Litigation)

Wolcott Rivers Gates; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Wolcott Rivers Gates seeks an experienced Legal Assistant to support our Civil Litigation team. The role involves comprehensive administrative support, case management from intake to disposition, and ensuring efficient communications with clients and courts.

Ideal candidates have 2+ years of civil litigation assistant experience, strong MS Word/Outlook/Excel/Adobe Acrobat skills, and the ability to manage a demanding workload with accuracy in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree, Paralegal certificate, or equivalent
• Minimum 2–3 years of experience as a legal assistant in civil litigation
• Notary Public certification preferred
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat
• Typing minimum 50 words per minute (60+ wpm preferred)

Responsibilities

• Communicating with clients, experts, opposing counsel, court personnel, and other involved parties
• Assisting with consultations and client intake
• Providing general client services and updates
• Coordinating schedules among meeting participants
• Managing attorney calendars and reminders for deadlines and court dates
• Maintaining organized electronic and hard-copy case files
• Tracking case status, deadlines, and tasks in case management software
• Preparing, drafting, filing, and serving legal documents
• Typing, transcribing, and formatting notes and letters
• Billing and entering billable hours

Skills

Legal software proficiency

Typing 50+ wpm

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree or paralegal certificate

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Excel

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Description

Wolcott Rivers Gates is seeking an experienced legal assistant to join our litigation team!

Position Summary:

Join our team at Wolcott Rivers Gates as a Legal Assistant supporting our Civil Litigation team. A Legal Assistant provides comprehensive administrative support and assists with case management from initial consultation through final disposition. The ideal candidate will have 2 or more years of experience as a legal assistant supporting a litigation attorney, and is detail-oriented, organized, self-motivated, and has excellent written and verbal communication skills, along with exceptional interpersonal skills. The right candidate will be a self-starter who takes initiative, learns quickly, possesses a strong understanding of the litigation process and court procedures in Virginia, andis able to work independently with minimal supervision.

What does someone in this role do?

A Legal Assistant works closely with attorneys, paralegals, courts and other parties to support case management, administrative operations, and client service excellence.

Primary responsibilities include:

Professional Communication & Client Support

• Communicating with clients, experts, opposing counsel, court personnel, and other involved parties.
• Assisting with consultations and client intake
• Providing general client services and updates

Administrative & Calendar Management

• Coordinating schedules among meeting participants
• Managing attorney calendars and providing reminders for deadlines and court dates
• Keeping the attorney organized, prepared, and on time for meetings, hearings, and appearances

Case Management & File Maintenance

• Maintaining organized electronic and hard-copy case files
• Tracking case status, deadlines, and tasks in case management software
• Assisting with basic computer tasks and navigation of legal software/systems

Document Preparation & Legal Support

• Preparing, drafting, filing, and serving legal documents
• Typing, transcribing, and formatting handwritten or dictated notes, letters, time entries, cover letters, and other documents
• Organizing documents and preparing attorneys for depositions, trials, mediations, and court appearances

Billing & Administrative Tasks

• Tracking and entering billable hours
• Assisting with billing and invoicing
• Completing other ad-hoc duties as assigned

What makes someone successful in this role?

• Manages multiple priorities with ease across a full caseload
• Tech-savvy with a passion for learning new systems and tools
• Takes pride in accurate, error-free work
• Brings a positive, can-do attitude to the team
• Self-motivated with a genuine interest in continuous learning
• Team player who enjoys pitching in whenever asked and being a reliable source of support for the team
• Reliable and consistent, both in attendance and in delivering quality work
• Able to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment
• Maintains professional demeanor and confidentiality

Wolcott Rivers Gates is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. Our continued success relies on our ability to provide a supportive, inclusive, and motivating environment where everyone has a role to play in delivering outstanding service to our clients.

To learn more about how you might become a part of our team, or to explore some of the benefits our firm provides to its employees, please visit our careers page at http://www.wolcottriversgates.com/about-the-firm/careers/

Compensation Range: $45,000 - $60,000 per year commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with discovery processes, including Requests for Production, Interrogatories, Subpoenas
• Working knowledge of Virginia litigation processes, court procedures, and e-filing systems is required. Preferred candidates also have experience with Federal Court
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat
• Comfortable learning new technology platforms
• Exceptional drafting, attention to detail, and proofreading skills
• A proven ability to manage a dynamic and demanding workload with accuracy.
• Ability to type a minimum of 50 words per minute (60+ wpm preferred)

Experience:

• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience as a legal assistant/secretary in civil litigation. (Required)
• Bachelor's Degree, Paralegal certificate, or equivalent combined education and experience. (Required)
• Notary Public certification. (Preferred)
• Experience specifically in the areas of estate litigation, corporate litigation, regulatory compliance and/or contract disputes. (Preferred)