Practice Administrative Assistant

Goodwin Procter Boston; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 81,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Goodwin is seeking a Practice Administrative Assistant to support a San Diego legal team, providing essential executive and administrative services to attorneys, paralegals and business leaders. You will help manage daily operations, calendars, travel, and communications while ensuring client-centric, efficient processes.

Role requires strong organization, professional communication, and a can-do attitude in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience providing high-level support to a senior partner or executive in a fast-paced setting.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and calendar management.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Familiarity with patent prosecution workflows is a plus.
• Discretion with confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive support to attorneys, paralegals and business leaders.
• Manage complex calendars, meetings, and travel arrangements.
• Coordinate meeting logistics including rooms, guests, equipment and catering.
• Prepare expense reports and assist with billing processes.
• Assist with client and matter management and document handling.
• Support general office administration and cross-team coordination.
• Screen and route requests and maintain clear communication channels.

Skills

Executive support

Microsoft Office Suite

Calendar management

Communication skills

Discretion & confidentiality

Patent workflow familiarity

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma

College degree preferred

Tools

DocuSign

Job description

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do. Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting‑edge solutions in high‑stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world‑class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer. This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward‑thinking peers.

Are you a proactive and detail‑oriented professional looking to make a significant impact in the legal field? As a Practice Administrative Assistant at our firm, you will be at the heart of our operations, providing essential administrative and executive support to our attorneys, paralegals and business leaders. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced environment and possesses strong organizational, communication and up-to-date technical skills. You will be instrumental in ensuring we deliver on our core principles, including a firm‑first mentality, client‑centricity, collaboration and excellence. We offer a supportive and inclusive work environment where you can develop your skills and grow your career. This is a challenging and rewarding role that offers the opportunity to make a real difference.

The Practice Administrative Assistant provides essential administrative and executive support to attorneys, paralegals and business leaders. This role is essential to ensuring we deliver on our core principles, including a firm‑first mentality, client‑centricity, collaboration and excellence.

The Practice Administrative Assistant must thrive in a fast‑paced team environment and demonstrate strong organizational, communication and up-to-date technical skills.

What You Will Do:

Executive and Administrative Support

You will play a crucial role in managing the daily operations of our San Diego‑based legal team. Your responsibilities will include managing complex calendars, arranging meetings and coordinating travel arrangements for attorneys, science advisors, paralegals and business leaders.

You will manage all aspects of meeting logistics, e.g., booking conference rooms, registering guests, securing equipment and arranging catering services.

Efficiently managing all communication modalities, including calls, emails and hard‑copy mail, you will ensure communications are handled appropriately and in a timely manner.

Additionally, you will prepare and process expense reports and check requests, ensuring accurate documentation for timely reimbursement/payment.

You will provide backup support to other team members as may be needed, including absence coverage and overflow tasks as needed.

You will provide proactive executive support to assigned attorneys by keeping them informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, anticipating and helping resolve calendar conflicts, monitoring and triaging high‑volume inboxes and requests, identifying priority action items and following up appropriately.

You will use sound judgment when screening and routing requests for attorney time.

You may also assist with general office administration as needed.

This may include coordinating with internal departments and office services and helping address other routine administrative or operational needs that contribute to an organized and efficient office environment.

Client and Matter Management

You will serve as a trusted administrative point of contact for clients and external parties, helping respond to routine requests, coordinating with the appropriate attorneys and firm resources and ensuring time‑sensitive items receive prompt attention.

You will support workflow management and team communication by maintaining task lists, status information and follow‑up items across a portfolio of patent clients.

At an attorney’s request, you may attend selected client or internal team meetings, prepare notes or action summaries and help track agreed follow‑up. You will not provide legal advice or independently interpret legal documents.

Document Preparation & File Management

You will be responsible for proofreading and editing legal documents, correspondence, memos and other communications to ensure accuracy and clarity.

You will assist with the preparation, management and distribution of audit response letters, and maintain organized, up‑to‑date client and administrative files in the firm’s electronic document management system, ensuring quick document retrieval and compliance with firm policies.

You will also prepare signature packets, coordinate DocuSign requests, courier services and mailings, respond to routine document requests under attorney direction and create or manage secure collaboration spaces or data rooms as needed.

Business Intake/Conflicts

You will open new client and/or matter numbers, maintain and edit matters, perform conflict checks and prepare engagement letters, coordinating their signing through DocuSign.

You will draft and prepare complex waiver and disclosure letters for client matters and transactions.

You will coordinate with the firm’s Pricing and Finance teams, as directed, to support new‑client and new‑matter fee arrangements, budgets, discounts and required approvals.

Time Entry/Billing

You are responsible for facilitating time entry for assigned attorneys and paralegals, including input, review, editing and release of time.

You may support the billing process, e.g., tracking billing deadlines, circulating prebills to attorneys for review, etc.

You may also assist with prebill edits, review bills for conformity with applicable engagement and billing arrangements, and help monitor accounts receivable and collections activity, coordinating with the responsible attorney and Finance team to identify and address issues.

Client Development and Practice Management Coordination

You will liaise with Goodwin’s Client Development team to help execute agreed priorities for assigned attorneys.

This may include coordinating pitch and client‑meeting preparation, prospect and contact research, client communications, events, relationship tracking and attorney profile updates, with the Client Development team providing strategy, guidance and firm resources.

You will liaise with Goodwin’s Practice Management team, the Attorney Development Team, and other firm departments to help coordinate San Diego team meetings, trainings, recruiting and staffing‑related follow‑up and other practice initiatives.

You will help ensure requests, information and action items are routed to the appropriate teams and carried through to completion.

Who You Are:

• High school diploma/GED required
• College degree preferred but not required
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• You have experience providing high‑level support to a senior partner, executive or similarly demanding professional in a law firm or other fast‑paced professional‑services environment.
• Experience supporting patent attorneys or significant familiarity with patent prosecution workflows and terminology is preferred.
• You possess exceptional organizational skills, allowing you to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously with efficiency and precision.
• Your ability to prioritize and handle a variety of responsibilities ensures that deadlines are met and operations run smoothly, even in a fast‑paced environment.
• You have outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, enabling you to convey information clearly and effectively.
• Whether drafting legal documents, corresponding with clients or collaborating with colleagues, your communication is always professional and articulate, fostering strong working relationships and ensuring accurate information exchange.
• You understand the importance of confidentiality in the legal field and are committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy and discretion.
• You handle sensitive information with care, ensuring that all client and firm data is protected and only shared with authorized individuals.
• You are committed to continuous learning and professional growth.
• You actively seek out opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge, and you value collaboration, working effectively with colleagues to achieve common goals and improve team performance.
• You have a thorough understanding of the firm’s structure and the resources available to you.
• This knowledge allows you to navigate the organization efficiently, leveraging the right tools and contacts to support your work and contribute to the firm’s success.
• You are proactive in identifying areas for improvement within existing processes and procedures.
• Your innovative mindset drives you to suggest and implement changes that enhance efficiency, accuracy and overall effectiveness.
• You possess strong analytical skills, enabling you to find solutions to various administrative challenges.
• You can assess situations, accurately identify issues and prioritize workloads effectively, ensuring that problems are resolved promptly and operations continue with minimal disruption.
• You are adaptable and willing to support general office and administrative needs when needed and bring a flexible, team‑oriented approach to supporting the broader office.

Benefits and More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement & Savings Plan
• Emergency back‑up child and adult care
• Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities
• Employee recognition and reward programs
• Employee wellness and assistance programs
• Employee discounts and perks

This position is eligible for overtime: Yes

The target salary range for this position varies by location and is commensurate with relevant experience: Boston $75,100 - $112,600 | Los Angeles $80,700 - $121,100 | New York $80,700 - $121,100 | Orange County $80,700 - $121,100 | Philadelphia $73,600 - $110,400 | San Diego $80,700 - $121,100 | San Francisco $86,300 - $129,500 | Santa Monica $80,700 - $121,100

Professional career paths at Goodwin offer you more – and less – than you might expect. You’ll find less hierarchy and more meritocracy. You’ll have more chances to work across departments and offices, and fewer roadblocks to getting the job done. We believe people are happiest when they’re not limited by a ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ approach, so we encourage a more imaginative and collaborative working environment. Our Global Operations Team – what we call our GO Team – brings a level of professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment to work each and every day.

Goodwin embraces responsible and ethical use of AI in the Hiring Process.