Professional Assistant – Litigation

Vinson & Elkins; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Vinson & Elkins in Dallas seeks a Professional Assistant to provide high-level administrative support to attorneys within the litigation practice groups. The role demands strong organization, meticulous document handling, proactive calendar management, and confidential handling of sensitive information.

Primary responsibilities include litigation document production, file management, coordinating filings, travel and time entry, and assisting with business development activities within a

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of three years of administrative experience in a law firm or comparable professional services environment.
• Experience supporting attorneys/executives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Experience managing complex administrative and calendaring responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide litigation and document support, including preparing and finalizing legal documents with high accuracy.
• Create and manage physical and electronic case files throughout the matter lifecycle.
• Coordinate with attorneys, paralegals, clerks, vendors, and other resources for efficient matter management.
• Prepare and coordinate electronic filings in state, county, Texas Business Court, and federal courts.
• Maintain attorney calendars and coordinate meetings, depositions, and court appearances.
• Manage travel, expenses, time entry, and other admin activities proactively.
• Support new business intake and engagement letter processes, including conflicts checks.
• Monitor deadlines and prioritize competing requests to ensure timely completion.
• Provide backup coverage for Professional Assistants when needed.

Skills

Organizational skills

Document management

Communication

Multitasking

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Prioritization

Team collaboration

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

PDF editing tools

Document management systems

Litera/DocXtools

PACER/电子 filing platforms

Time-entry software

Job description

This position provides high-level administrative support to attorneys within the firm’s litigation practice groups. The Professional Assistant must demonstrate strong organizational, document management, communication, and multitasking skills, along with exceptional attention to detail. This role requires the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while exercising sound judgment, maintaining confidentiality, and working collaboratively within a Center team structure.

Duties and Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

• Litigation and Document Support
  • Prepare, revise, format, proofread, and finalize legal documents, correspondence, pleadings, discovery materials, and other work product with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Create, maintain, organize, and manage physical and electronic case files and related records throughout the matter lifecycle.
  • Assist with litigation-related document management, including filing, retrieval, storage, indexing, and records retention.
  • Coordinate with attorneys, paralegals, project assistants, clerks, vendors, and other support resources to facilitate efficient matter management and workflow.
  • Prepare, review, and coordinate electronic filings in state, county, Texas Business Court, and federal courts, ensuring compliance with applicable court rules, procedures, and deadlines.
  • Monitor court filings, notices, and docket activity, and assist attorneys with accessing and retrieving court documents through applicable filing and docketing systems.
• Administrative and Practice Support
  • Maintain attorney calendars and coordinate meetings, depositions, court appearances, hearings, client conferences, and other litigation-related events.
  • Manage travel arrangements, expense reports, time entry, and other administrative activities in a proactive and efficient manner.
  • Support the new business intake and memorandum process, including preparing engagement letters, requesting conflicts checks, and coordinating related follow-up activities.
  • Monitor assignments and deadlines, proactively prioritize competing requests, and complete work accurately and within established time frames.
  • Take messages and respond to routine inquiries as appropriate.
• Billing and Business Development Support
  • Assist with prebill review and coordinate billing attorney updates with the appropriate billing personnel, as requested.
  • Support business development initiatives through activity entry, contact maintenance, and contributions to marketing and event lists within the Firm’s CRM systems.
  • Maintain attorney contact information and assist with client relationship management activities as needed.
• Technology and Team Collaboration
  • Utilize firm technology and software applications effectively, including Microsoft Office, document management systems, PDF editing tools, time-entry applications, and other practice-support technologies.
  • Attend technology training sessions and participate in continuing education opportunities to maintain proficiency with firm systems and software enhancements.
  • Participate in departmental, practice group, and firm meetings to remain informed of operational and practice developments.
  • Provide backup coverage for Professional Assistants as needed and contribute positively to a collaborative Center team environment.
  • Adhere to Center procedures, departmental protocols, and firm policies while exercising sound judgment and maintaining confidentiality.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Record activities in Harvest Time to support leadership in monitoring and balancing workloads and identify training needs.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience

• Minimum of three years of administrative experience in a law firm or comparable professional services environment required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting attorneys / executives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Experience managing complex administrative, document production, and calendaring responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Required Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a high-volume environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail, including proofreading, formatting, and quality control of legal and business documents.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong client-service orientation and commitment to delivering high-quality support.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and maintain strict confidentiality.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys, colleagues, and professionals at all levels of the organization.
• Flexibility and adaptability in response to changing priorities and business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting litigation practices.
• Experience coordinating electronic filings in state, county, Texas Business Court, and federal courts.
• Familiarity with court rules, filing requirements, and litigation-related deadlines.
• Experience supporting business development and client relationship management activities.
• Experience working in a shared-services or team-based support model.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office Suite
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, including email management, calendar coordination, scheduling, and meeting support.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, including document formatting, styles, document cleanup, mail merge, tables of contents, cross-references, and track changes management.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data entry, formatting, sorting, filtering, and basic formulas.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, including creating, editing, and formatting presentation materials.
• Litigation and Document Management Applications
  • Experience with Adobe Acrobat and/or Kofax PDF tools, including document assembly, redaction, Bates numbering, page manipulation, bookmarks, headers, and footers.
  • Familiarity with Litera products, including document creation, redlining, and comparison tools preferred.
  • Familiarity with DocXtools or equivalent document-formatting tools preferred.
  • Experience using PACER to access federal court filings, pleadings, and docket reports preferred.
  • Experience with E-File Texas/FileTime and other electronic filing platforms preferred.
  • Experience using document management systems, including NetDocuments or similar platforms preferred.
• Firm and Business Applications
  • Familiarity with Emburse (Chrome River), InterAction (or similar CRM systems), Intapp Time, Microsoft Teams, Replicon, and DocuSign preferred.

Core Competencies

• Demonstrates professionalism, initiative, and accountability in daily work.
• Builds effective working relationships and communicates confidently with attorneys, clients, and colleagues.
• Follows Center procedures, departmental protocols, and firm policies while working collaboratively within a team-based support structure.
• Maintains the highest standards of discretion and confidentiality regarding client and firm information.
• Consistently delivers accurate, timely, and responsive support while demonstrating sound judgment and a solutions-oriented approach.

Working Conditions

• Job is performed in a typical office environment, but is subject to time pressures and constraints, and is primarily dependent on input from others.
• Long hours are required periodically and overtime may be required.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications and skills required of personnel so classified. The firm reserves the right to revise or modify this job description at any time.