Mid-level Paralegal

Sher Leff, a small but very busy environmental law firm in San Francisco, is seeking a mid-level paralegal for complex civil litigation matters in multiple jurisdictions. Reporting to the Director of Operations, this position works under the direction of attorneys, and collaboratively with other members of the firm, including other paralegals. Sher Leff focuses exclusively on litigating groundwater contamination cases on the plaintiff side.

Responsibilities:

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:

Manages Case Information:

Uses electronic and hard-copy systems to organize, control and retrieve case documents. Coordinates the accurate screening, scanning, coding and tracking of case materials. Assembles files, pleadings, transcripts and document summaries into comprehensive information management systems. Prepares summaries, abstracts, chronologies of events, and statistical reports using the case materials.

Provides Discovery Support:

which may include but is not limited to the following:

• As requested, retrieves and organizes case materials relevant to witnesses who are to be interviewed and/or deposed and prepares witness files or binders for the attorney(s). Identifies potentially relevant documents to use as exhibits. Tracks deposition exhibits.
• Document review for relevance, privilege and work product as well as compliance with discovery requests. Assembles and maintains document production indices.
• Deposition summaries and other deposition related tasks.
• Communication with and information retrieval from clients
• Communication and working relationship with various experts

Performs Research:

Reviews incoming documents and performs online research to support case preparation as needed. Knowledge of Westlaw, Findlaw, and other legal databases a plus but not required.

Science:

Willingness to gain in-depth knowledge about science related to a variety of groundwater contaminates.

Drafts Documents:

Drafts letters, memorandum, excel spreadsheets and other documents as needed.

Assists with Court Filings:

Assists in the preparation and filing of pleadings, motions, and briefs.

Maintains Calendar:

Works with the legal secretary to maintain and update the case calendars, including discovery, motions, pre-trial and trial dates. Coordinates with the firm-wide docket calendar. Knowledge of Compulaw/Vision a plus. Stays current on court rules regarding deadlines.

Provides Support for Trial Preparation:

Assists as needed in providing trial preparation support - preparation of potential exhibits; prepares witness and issue files or binders; coordinates with graphic and/or video specialists to prepare exhibits for display; attends trial as needed to support attorneys; sets up and manages off-site trial facilities; arranges transportation of all materials and equipment to the courthouse or off-site trial support facilities; and summarizes trial transcripts as needed.

Cooperates with Team Efforts:

Demonstrates the effective teamwork that is required in a small, busy, litigation law firm. Works collaboratively and provides assistance to others as time permits.

Timekeeping:

Completes and submits timesheets in a timely manner. Tracks projects according to time and client in firm's timekeeping program. Knowledge of timeslips a plus.

Other:

Performs other paralegal and administrative duties as assigned. Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the job.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, skills, knowledge and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage and organize projects, case materials and information. Strong time management skills and the ability to work under pressure in a faced-paced environment; ability to coordinate multiple tasks concurrently.
• Strong communication/interpersonal skills; able to work effectively with
• Clients and scientific experts who have different levels of understanding regarding case information..
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to read and understand complex legal documents.
• Accurate work product and meticulous attention to detail are essential.
• Strong proficiency in the use of the MS Office Suite of software 2007 (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel).
• Knowledge of various legal software and databases, including timeslips, Compulaw/Vision, Westlaw and Findlaw a plus.
• Experience in the management and use of litigation support database software is a plus including summation, Iconnect, Worldox and Clearwell.
• Demonstrated knowledge of legal terminology, legal documents, and legal processes is required, and knowledge of Federal, Multidistrict, and California litigation practices and court rules is desirable.
• Exposure to scientific concepts and/or terminology, especially in the areas of geology or water sciences is a plus.
• Ability to work effectively within a team environment and with minimal supervision; flexibility with regard to assignments/responsibilities is essential.

Education:

Bachelor's degree is required; paralegal certificate or coursework is desirable.

Experience:

Minimum 3 years of experience as a Litigation Paralegal is required. Experience with complex civil litigation, document review, and working directly with attorneys is essential. Experience with trial preparation is required; experience working with experts and expert witnesses is a plus.

We offer a team-oriented environment and great learning experience, but there is little time to train, so we are seeking candidates who have experience and can hit the ground running. While experience with groundwater litigation is desirable, applicants who have worked in this area on the defense side should be prepared to disclose former clients so we can avoid conflicts of interest.

Compensation: This is full-time, regular position with benefits.

To Apply:

Applicants should please email a cover letter, résumé and salary requirements. Any attachments should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format only, please. Principals only; no agencies please. We are sorry, but due to high volume, we will only contact those applicants in whom we have an interest. Sher Leff is an Equal Opportunity Employer.