Job type
full‑time
job title
legal support staff 1 or 2
department / unit
legal advocacy unit
reports to (title)
litigation support manager
location
los angeles, ontario, san diego, bay, sacramento or fresno (hybrid)
employment status
nonexempt; fulltime, regular, 37.5 hours
salary
$22.71 - $36.59 per hour (depending on experience)
purpose of the job
the legal support 1/2 serves as the primary support to enhance the effectiveness of the legal/advocacy staff by providing legal, litigation, and administrative support to a team of attorneys. The position assists attorneys in preparing litigation cases from onset through post‑trial, manages projects as assigned by attorneys, and assists with production or creation of legal forms, pleadings, correspondence, and other case‑related documents.
job responsibilities
legal support 1 essential functions
technical (80%)
* formats, files, and serves legal pleadings in multiple jurisdictions, including state, federal, appellate courts, and office of administrative hearings.
* performs clerical and secretarial work and coordinates and schedules court‑related services with specific instruction.
* interacts with courts, administrative agencies, governmental entities, co‑counsel, opposing counsel, or witnesses.
* calendars and ensures deadlines are met.
* composes correspondence.
* establishes and maintains case and administrative files and records, ensuring confidentiality of files and records.
* arranges meetings and prepares agendas.
* performs other duties as assigned.
customer service (20%)
* communicates with clients, directs telephone calls, and coordinates conference calls.
* communicates with other practice groups, departments, and units.
legal support 2 essential functions
technical (80%)
* works independently or as part of a team to achieve project goals.
* coordinates, assembles, and serves multi‑document filings in administrative agencies, federal and state courts; familiarity with e‑filling is required.
* performs and oversees both simple and complex cite checking and proofreading of briefs and other legal documents.
* prepares shells for complaints and is familiar with preparing subpoenas, summonses, and written discovery.
* establishes, maintains, and monitors record‑keeping work in connection with data/document management and case management following drc and case protocols.
* schedules and calendars court appearances, depositions, arbitrations, mediations, client meetings, and conference calls, maintaining calendars and due dates for attorneys.
* prepares motion binders and special working binders.
* establishes and maintains filing and records in electronic formats.
* assists with the discovery process, including preparation for deposition, propounding, and responding to written discovery, and preparing expert discovery.
* assists with trial preparation by creating trial notebooks/binders, identifying and organizing exhibits, coordinating witness schedules, maintaining trial calendars, and communicating with opposing counsel and courtroom staff.
* ensures that all correspondence or other documentation is formatted, proofread, and dispatched in a timely manner.
* performs online legal research for legal advocacy staff.
* sorts, reads, and annotates incoming mail and documents as required.
* creates and maintains legal templates and forms.
* generates and prepares attorney’s fees and expense reports.
* provides mentorship, reviews, and verifies support staff’s work, researching and understanding court rules (federal & state) as they apply to deadlines, filings, and formatting of documents.
* assists with printing, scanning, organizing exhibit notebooks/binders, and preparing service.
* makes documents accessible.
* works collaboratively within and across practice groups.
* tracks time contemporaneously.
* assists with office operations tasks and coverage as needed.
* performs other duties as assigned.
customer service (20%)
* communicates with clients, directs telephone calls, and coordinates conference calls.
* communicates with other practice groups, departments, and units.
drc provides reasonable disability accommodations to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
travel requirements
ability to travel infrequently for activities such as practice group and support staff meetings, training, or outreach activities up to 10% of the time.
requirements
legal support 1 minimum qualifications
* high school diploma or general education degree (ged).
* at least one year of legal support experience (or two years of other administrative experience using microsoft office).
* proficiency in microsoft office suite, office 365, including teams, word, outlook, and excel.
legal support 1 desired qualifications
* two or more years of legal secretarial experience.
* experience using database applications, web‑based applications, or workflow systems.
* experience with microsoft office suite, including sharepoint and powerpoint.
* experience working in a virtual environment.
* experience with nonprofit and/or social service agencies.
* contacts with, and/or lived experience within, disability or multi‑ethnic organizations or communities.
* life experience as a person with a disability or direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.
legal support 2 minimum qualifications
* five years of law office litigation support experience working on state and federal case matters.
* two years of experience successfully leading, developing, mentoring, and training other legal support staff.
* a certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the american bar association or an accredited post‑secondary institution can substitute one year of litigation support experience.
* demonstrated project management skills; ability to divide and delegate a larger task into smaller manageable assignments to meet a goal.
* proficiency using microsoft office 365 (teams, word, excel, sharepoint) and knowledge of case management and calendaring software and applications.
legal support 2 desired qualifications
* proficient in using best authority and everlaw.
* experience using westlaw or other tools in researching local court rules.
* experience using everlaw document management or another document management software for litigation support and document review.
* experience working in a virtual environment.
* experience with nonprofit and/or social service agencies.
* contacts with, and/or lived experience within, disability or multi‑ethnic organizations or communities.
* life experience as a person with a disability or direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.
legal support 2 skills & competencies
* proficient in complying with the rules of court for lodging, filing, and serving court documents.
* competency in drafting a variety of legal court documents.
* knowledge and familiarity with existing and emerging software applications.
* excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to collaborate well in a team.
* strong ability to maintain high standards, use good judgment, and anticipate needs.
* strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to manage time effectively; ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
certificate preference
paralegal certificate preferred.
working conditions
the job is performed in an office environment and remotely/virtually. Duties require regular online communications. Employees may perform duties with or without accommodations for disability-related needs.
salary description
$22.71 - $36.59 per hour
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