Client Service Specialist (Legal Secretary)

New York, NY

The New York office of a premier, global, law firm has an opening for a Client Service Specialist.  The Client Service Specialist provides administrative client services to both internal and external clients.

In this capacity, the Client Service Specialist will:

• Maintain a consistent physical presence required to facilitate an interactive and collaborative environment ensuring that assignments, cross-training, and peer level support are optimized to provide seamless support;
• Coordinate legal practice tasks and projects;
• Coordinate administrative functions and facilitate completion of tasks including such as finance/ billing-related tasks, time and expense entry, opening of new matters, client presentations, meetings and other administrative projects as assigned;
• Coordinate with and delegate to Firm resources including DPS, Williams Lea, Client Service Center, practice support or similar departments in International offices in the handling of tasks and projects;
• Prepare complex legal documents and correspondence; File with appropriate court or agency; Apply subject matter expertise in coordination of legal practice tasks and projects;
• Coordinate support through the Finance Department including: edit and review process of client bills; correct time entry and promotion of time entry best practices;
• Review and support of the client billing process to include: proofreading, application of task codes and matter management skills, coinciding math aptitude and skills to support rates, rate changes, write-offs, preparation of expense reporting and audits as required, maintenance and consistency with billing protocols and other accounting
• functions;
• Manage the legal and administrative practices of attorneys and facilitate service levels that meet client requirements; and
• Work overtime as required.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree; Bachelor’s degree (preferred);
• At least 5 years of legal secretarial experience or relevant legal experience;
• Advanced ability to organize, prioritize, coordinate, delegate and work as part of a team;
• Advanced to Expert proficiency in rules of English grammar, spelling and punctuation; bilingual proficiency as may be required;
• Advanced proficiency in MS Word and document editing/comparison applications;
• Advanced proficiency in MS Outlook and web-based conference call/web-sharing applications;
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and spreadsheet/database applications;
• Advanced proficiency in MS PowerPoint and presentation applications;
• Advanced knowledge of time keeping, expense processing and legal billing;
• Advanced knowledge of relevant jurisdictional/court/agency processes and procedures;
• Advanced proficiency in document management applications;
• Proven ability to function as a coordinator with other firm-wide departments with necessary communication skills to transfer instructions/data, verify results, resolution of conflict and delivery or results; and
• Excellent written and oral communications required with strong ability meet deadlines and provide results while supporting Firm policy and procedures.