Settlement Paralegal

Barnes & Thornburg LLP; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnes & Thornburg LLP is seeking an experienced litigation settlement paralegal to join its product liability and mass torts resolution team in San Diego. The role focuses on supporting attorneys, managing the settlement process for high-volume matters, and coordinating with clients, settlement administrators, and vendors to ensure accurate, compliant settlements.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in litigation paralegal roles with settlement or claims administration experience, especially in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or Paralegal Certificate required.
• 3+ years of experience as a litigation paralegal with settlement/claims administration experience.
• Experience with mass tort/MDL or high-volume settlement administration.
• Experience supporting large settlements involving thousands of claimants.
• Familiarity with medical records, lien resolution, and Medicare reporting requirements.
• Proficiency with matter management systems and Microsoft Office; openness to AI tools.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage settlement-related documents and databases.
• Assist intake, review, evaluation, and organization of claims information using firm systems.
• Collaborate with attorneys to ensure timely progress of settlement workflows.
• Conduct settlement-related legal research and draft correspondence.
• Perform FDA or MMSEA reporting as needed.
• Provide updates on case statistics and settlement payments.
• Review settlement agreements and coordinate disbursement procedures.
• Maintain accurate case information in databases and matter management systems.
• Draft and review court documents for filing in multiple jurisdictions.
• Communicate with opposing counsel and clients.
• Assist with claim assessments and processing of submissions.
• Ensure compliance with firm policies and client guidelines.

Skills

Litigation support

Mass tort administration

Case management

Attention to detail

Communication

Team collaboration

Discretion and confidentiality

AI tools adaptation

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Paralegal Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Case Manager Pro

Harvey (AI tools)

Pattern

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

We are seeking an experienced litigation settlement Paralegal with significant case management experience to join the firm’s product liability and mass torts resolution team. The Paralegal will be responsible for providing comprehensive support for attorneys and coordinating and managing all phases of the settlement process for high-volume litigation matters. This role serves as a primary liaison between attorneys, clients, settlement administrators, opposing counsel, and vendors to ensure settlement obligations are completed accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with client guidelines and court requirements.

The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience providing legal and operational support for large-scale settlements involving thousands of claimants and has a deep understanding of mass tort claims administration.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare, organize, and manage settlement-related documents, internal case management and document review databases, and track various stages of mass tort claims administration.

• Assist with the intake, review, evaluation, management and organization of claims information using firm-approved technologies, including Microsoft Excel and matter management systems (e.g., Case Manager Pro).

• Collaborate closely with attorneys and team members to ensure timely progress of settlement workflows and completion of documentation.

• Conduct settlement-related legal research and draft correspondence or reports as needed.

• Perform any necessary FDA reporting or MMSEA reporting in accordance with client guidelines.

• Provide attorneys and clients with regular updates on case statistics and the status of settlements and payments.

• Review and analysis of individual settlement agreements and supporting documentation for compliance and accuracy. Coordinate payment requests and assist with settlement disbursement procedures.

• Maintain accurate case information and update claims database and internal settlement case management system based on same.

• Draft and review any necessary court documents for filing in various jurisdictions.

• Communicate directly with opposing counsel and clients.

• Assist with preparation of claim assessments to aid in processing and review of claim submissions.

• Ensure compliance with firm policies and procedures, client guidelines, and applicable legal and ethical requirements.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree and/or Paralegal Certificate required.

• 3+ years of experience as a litigation paralegal with prior settlement or claims administration experience, preferably in products liability and/or drug, device and consumer products.

• Experience with mass tort or multidistrict litigation (MDL), complex litigation, or high-volume settlement administration.

• Possesses extensive experience providing legal and operational support for large-scale settlements involving thousands of claimants and has a deep understanding of claims administration.

• Familiarity with medical records, lien resolution, and Medicare reporting requirements.

• Familiarity with matter management systems, AI tools (e.g., Harvey), and proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word.

• Ability and willingness to adapt to and learn new technology, including AI-assisted platforms (Pattern and/or Case Manager Pro experience a plus).

• Excellent organization, detail orientation, and time management skills.

• Strong communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem‑solving abilities.

• Proven track record of managing high-volume data, tracking deadlines, and supporting multiple cases or projects at once.

• Demonstrated ability to handle and manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a fast-paced, high-performing team.

WORKING CONDITIONS

1. Normal law office environment with minimal exposure to excessive noise, dust, extreme temperatures, or other adverse environmental conditions.

2. Must have the ability to work under pressure and multi-task.

3. This position requires regular interaction with attorneys, legal staff, clients, and outside parties.

The Paralegal must be able to perform all essential duties and responsibilities of this position with minimal supervision, satisfactorily and as outlined, with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation requests may be accommodated, absent undue firm hardship.

This job description is intended to describe the general requirements of this position. As such, it is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of job duties or responsibilities required in this job. Subject to firm needs, duties and responsibilities of this position may change at any time, on a temporary or permanent basis, and with or without notice.

Equal Employment and Opportunity Statement:

Barnes & Thornburg is committed to equal employment opportunity in both principle and as a matter of policy. We will recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate and provide benefits to all applicants and employees without regard to ancestry, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religion, religious creed, mental and/or physical disability, medical condition, military and/or veteran’s status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all recruiting, hiring, promotions, upgrades, layoffs, compensation, benefits, terminations and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. The firm complies fully with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.