Description
Overview:
The Senior Paralegal is responsible for managing the workflow and cases and monitoring work product, making sure deadlines are met, tasking the paralegals through CLIO for case work, and monitoring their own weekly billable hours. The Senior Paralegal also has billable hour requirements.
Reporting Relationship:
The Senior Paralegal reports to the COO, Erin Schaden.
Authority:
The Senior Paralegal monitors and reports on the status of cases and identifies matters that are outside of established deadlines and timeframes.
The Senior Paralegal may not practice law, give legal advice, or set strategy on a per-case/per-client basis.
Responsibilities:
1) Using reports and case review meetings, ensure clients and matters move through workflow pipeline at the right pace, and that the right tasks are assigned with the right due dates, and they are completed on time.
a) Cases with overdue tasks
b) Cases where task deadlines have been adjusted/extended more than once
c) Cases with no billable hours in 2 – 4 weeks (depending on phase)
d) Cases with too many billable hours depending on phase
e) Cases with no next step identified/no future tasks
f) Cases that need retainer replenishment (overdue)
g) Cases opened longer than expected
h) Cases heading for trial that are about to need a big dose of firm resources.
2) Identifies for the Administrator/ Managing Attorney where the amount of work that has been done and the work still to do exceed Firm guidelines and expectation for what should be done on a case by when.
3) Drafts and tracks motions, pleadings and discovery.
4) Responds to client in the portal in a timely manner.
5) Collaborates with other team members and share workload.
6) Assists in onboarding and training of new staff.
7) Talks with assigned legal team to understand why matter is outside expectations and whether a plan is needed to bring the case in line or whether this is a valid exception to expectations. Brings plan or feedback to Administrator/Managing Attorney for their approval and intervention if needed.
8) Report status of clients/matters and any issues or exceptions to the Administrator weekly.
9) Reviews CLIO entries weekly for the quality and timeliness of time entries and documentation of work done on tasks.
10) Reports to Administrator regarding patterns of quality or timeliness, billable hours and other training or performance issues.
11) Handles special projects of significance assigned by the Owner/Administrator.
12) Other duties as assigned.
Education & Experience
The Senior Paralegal will have the equivalent of bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
The Senior Paralegal will participate in management courses, CLEs, webinars, etc. provided by the Owner/COO.
Candidates with prior legal secretarial/paralegal experience are preferred.
Key Performance Indicators
70% of cases are resolved within expectations for average case life and the case is closed
100% of cases have billable hours entered by the assigned attorney or paralegal daily
80% of case-related tasks are completed by the assigned attorney or paralegal on-time
Requirements
Education & Experience:
The Senior Paralegal will have the equivalent of bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
The Senior Paralegal will participate in management courses, CLEs, webinars, etc. provided by the Owner/COO.
Candidates with prior legal secretarial/paralegal experience are preferred.
