Professional Assistant

New York, NY

Summary

A well-regarded national law firm seeks a Professional Assistant to provide high-level administrative and legal support to attorneys, practice teams, clients, and the firm. This role is ideal for a polished law firm professional who is highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and committed to exceptional client service. The Professional Assistant also helps advance team, office, and firm initiatives while supporting innovation, efficiency, and a strong One Firm culture.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Manage attorney inboxes, calendars, contacts, mail, and matter files.
• Maintain electronic and hard-copy client files in compliance with firm records policies, including organization, labeling, iManage storage, and file closing.
• Partner with attorney to ensure emails, documents, and matter materials are properly stored in iManage and support electronic file management as needed.
• Draft, proofread, edit, and format correspondence and complex legal documents to firm standards.
• Support business development and client intake, including pitches, RFPs, attorney bios, engagement letters, and new client and matter documentation.
• Coordinate calls, meetings, conference rooms, videoconferencing, equipment, catering, extensive travel, and related expense requests.
• Provide team support, including phone coverage, client communication, deliveries, document production, overflow assistance, and support for visiting attorneys and guests.
• Assist with CLE tracking, attorney licenses, court admissions, memberships, and related compliance tasks.
• Assist with billable and non-billable work, including e-filings, docket and case research, client workrooms, pleadings files, blogs, and practice support.
• Monitor time entry, review diaries and prebills, support invoice transmittals, and coordinate with client accounting on billing updates and collections.
• Contribute to special projects, committees, community and public relations initiatives, training, mentoring, onboarding, and administrative requests.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent required. College degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum three years’ overall legal secretarial experience (or work equivalent) required. Prior law firm experience preferred.
• In-depth and comprehensive knowledge of firm and team-specific software used in the execution of professional assistant responsibilities including, but not limited to, word processing, document management, file management, spreadsheets, calendaring, and time management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and PDF required. Proficiency in iManage and other firm software applications preferred.
• Fundamental accounting aptitude, proficiency with accounting software and experience in interpreting and analyzing client accounting reports preferred.
• Compliance with firm in-office policy required.
• Accurate typing, strong word processing skills, familiarity with legal terminology and procedures, ability to generate a large volume of work and pay strict attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills. Spelling, punctuation and use of grammar must be of high quality.
• Must exercise initiative in problem solving and be capable of making sound decisions in the absence of clear instructions and be multiple task oriented.
• Ability to work under pressure and maintain flexibility regarding work assignments.
• Patience, diplomacy, high stress tolerance, excellent interpersonal communication skills, ability to prioritize workload and adapt to changing conditions.
• Visual acuity needed for transcription, extensive reading and moderate or advanced keyboard usage.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to receive and convey detailed information through both written and oral communications.
• Ability to lift, carry, reach, stoop or bend, at times repetitively, for tasks involving filing or movement of files/supplies weighing up to 5-10 pounds.
• Essential competency processes include language ability, reasoning and memory.
• Ability to maintain flexibility regarding work assignments to work overtime on short notice required.
• Ability to work in a cooperative manner as a member of a team.
• The incumbent must possess the abilities or aptitudes to proficiently perform each of the responsibilities and accountabilities described above, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Compensation: $91,300.00-$119,000.00, plus overtime and bonus