Legal Secretary, Litigation

Kutak Rock; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Discretionary bonuses

401(k) Retirement Plan

Nine paid holidays

Job summary

Kutak Rock LLP seeks a Legal Secretary for its Litigation practice, providing legal administrative support to multiple lawyers in a busy national practice focused on mass/toxic tort litigation. The role may sit in Irvine or Los Angeles, CA, and requires collaboration in a collegial environment.

The position entails preparing pleadings, filing documents, managing calendars, handling correspondence, and supporting the team with document management and CLE tracking.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of legal administrative support experience in a litigation practice
• Experience with civil litigation, mass tort, or toxic tort practices preferred
• Experience with local, state, and federal court filing procedures required
• Advanced MS Office skills including Word, Excel, and formatting
• Proficiency with document management systems and e-file platforms
• Strong editing and proofreading abilities with excellent grammar

Responsibilities

• Maintain confidentiality of firm and client matters
• Prepare and edit pleadings, discovery, briefs, and memoranda
• Submit court filings for State and Federal Courts
• Monitor court rules and deadlines
• Manage calendars and docketing
• Handle general office duties and filing
• Read and route mail and assemble large mailings
• Use Litera for document comparisons
• Maintain electronic files in NetDocs
• Coordinate travel and expense reports for attorneys
• Schedule meetings and conference calls
• Provide occasional coverage at reception
• Support the Litigation Department as needed

Skills

State & Federal rules

E-file platforms

MS Office Suite

PDF editing/assembly

Video conferencing

Document management

Mass tort knowledge

Grammar & proofreading

Time management

Multitasking

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Associate or Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Litera

NetDocs

Job description

Kutak Rock LLP seeks a Legal Secretary for its Litigation practice. This pivotal position provides legal administrative support to multiple lawyers in a busy national litigation practice with a focus on mass/toxic tort litigation. This role is ideal for an experienced legal support professional who enjoys working collaboratively in a collegial environment.

This full-time position may sit in either the firm’s Irvine or Los Angeles office.

Responsibilities

• Maintain strict confidentiality and discretion of firm and client matters
• Prepare, proofread, and edit pleadings, discovery, briefs, memoranda, and correspondence in draft and final form to incorporate revisions
• Submit court filings for State and Federal Courts
• Monitor and maintain compliance of State and Federal Court local rules and procedures
• Maintain timekeepers’ calendars and monitor docketing deadlines, review documents and correspondence for important deadlines and information
• Prepare scans, copies, printing, and other general office duties
• Handle heavy filing, organize and maintain extensive files, both paper and electronic
• Read and route incoming and internal mail; assemble large mailings
• Perform document comparisons using firm software (Litera)
• Organize and maintain electronic files in the Firm’s document management system (NetDocs)
• Accept responsibility and take directions for work assignments and tasks from both attorneys and staff
• Handle client communications (when appropriate) through telephone and email
• Maintain, report and track Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits
• Arrange travel and handle expense reports for attorneys, enter lawyers’ expenses for submission to Accounting through internal billing software
• Schedule conference calls, meetings, and professional organization events for attorneys
• Provide occasional coverage to office reception desk in rotation with existing office staff
• Assist with other tasks as assigned or necessary within the Litigation Department

QUALIFICATIONS: Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge and proficiency in State and Federal Court local rules and procedures
• Advanced knowledge of e-file platforms both in State and Federal Courts.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office including the use of charts, Styles and Table of Contents, Word, and Excel
• Advanced knowledge in editing, combining, and assembling PDF documents
• Advanced knowledge of video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Teams)
• Knowledge and proficiency in document management systems
• Knowledge and understanding of mass tort or toxic tort litigation procedures and proceedings
• Excellent grammar, spelling, and proofreading skills with a keen eye for details
• Ability to work well under the pressures of deadlines, prioritize, multitask, and move from one project to another efficiently
• Excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to work with practice groups in multiple time zones
• Ability and interest in learning new skills including software and technology
• Excellent interpersonal skills and adept at professional interactions with lawyers, clients, and staff

QUALIFICATIONS: Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degrees preferred
• 3 + years of legal administrative support experience in a litigation practice required, experience in civil litigation, mass tort, or toxic tort practices preferred
• Experience with local, state, and federal court filing procedures as well as electronic court filing required

Position Information

Status: Non-Exempt

Salary Range: $70,000-$85,000 base salary per year, commensurate with education and experience.

Work Arrangement: Hybrid 4:1, with manager approval after an initial introductory period. This position may sit in either the firm’s Irvine, CA or Los Angeles, CA office.

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Dependent Life, Disability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance. Flexible Spending Plan. Health Savings Account. Profit-Sharing and 401(k) Retirement benefits. Discretionary bonuses. Nine Paid Holidays per calendar year. 1 hour of paid vacation leave accrued for every 16 hours worked. 1 hours of paid sick leave accrued for every 30 hours worked. Paid parental leave. Fertility coverage assistance. Adoption and surrogacy financial assistance. Bereavement, jury duty, military leave. Employee Assistance Program. Back-Up Care. Domestic Partner Benefits. Commuting Benefits. Tuition Reimbursement. Employee Referral Program. Some of the foregoing benefits include Employer/Employee cost sharing.

Additional Information

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Consideration of any background check will be an individualized assessment based on the applicant or employee’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO).

About The Firm

Kutak Rock was formed in 1965 with a commitment to exceptional client service delivered with a collaborative, team-focused approach. Our founding charter commits the firm to “allow and encourage each individual within it to be a full person,” and we strive to offer an exceptional professional environment, intellectually challenging and engaging work in multiple disciplines, competitive compensation and benefits, opportunities for training and career development. We are a leading national law firm with locations in 21 cities united by our common commitment to our core values of client service; integrity and fairness; innovation; and inclusiveness and diversity.

We are dedicated to the maintenance of a respectful, collegial, communicative, and equal opportunity workplace that encourages and rewards innovation and entrepreneurship. We measure our success not just on the basis of our revenues or our profits, but by the satisfaction we deliver for our clients and the health, engagement, and loyalty of our people.