Experienced Legal Assistant/Paralegal (Albany/Colonie)

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Job Summary:

Assist Attorneys with secretarial and paralegal duties such as calendaring client meetings and court appearances, drafting correspondence to clients, courts, prosecutors’ offices, jointly drafting legal documents with Attorneys, and updating the time management program. Make regular telephone calls to clients, courts, and prosecutors’ offices.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities: (Additional duties may be assigned by managing partner and a senior attorney in office as needed)

Calendar court appearances, deadlines for filing various legal documents, meetings, and important reminders for each file.

Draft correspondence, emails, and legal documents.

Update the time management program.

Screen telephone calls from prospective or current clients, courts, and prosecutors’ offices.

Scan and save documents to clients’ electronic files and maintain physical files in an organized fashion as needed. Take the initiative by assisting Attorneys with requests for any additional or follow-up documents.

Proactively request adjournments for court appearances as needed, follow up with courts, and inform clients.

General office duties include handling mail, copying, faxing, and filing.

Open new files by ensuring arraignments or first court appearances are confirmed; identity, collect and establish accurate contact and address information for clients, courts, and prosecutors’ offices.

Keep Attorneys updated on cases.

Minimum Qualifications:

1-3 years of experience as a Paralegal or Legal Assistant; and

Capable of performing all essential job duties and responsibilities.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies;

Paralegal Certification preferred;

Experience (or an expressed desire to learn) drafting basic legal documents for review by Attorneys such as discovery demands, motions, applications for criminal record sealing, and certificates of relief from disabilities;

Capable of (or an expressed desire to learn) using legal research databases such as Westlaw, FastCase, or LexisNexis; and

A desire to practice in a fast-paced environment protecting clients and their rights.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Necessary computer skills that include the ability to send/receive email messages;

Ability to perform basic word processing, bookkeeping, and data entry;

Ability to use software such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Time Matters and or/ Clio;

Ability to use general office equipment to include printer/copier, fax, scanner, calculator and postage meter; and

Organization and cleanliness.