We seek a Mandarin fluent Legal Assistant.
You must have at least one year of experience in civil litigation; experience in family law is ideal but not necessary.
DUTIES
- Assist attorney in preparing legal documents, such as petitions, responses, requests for orders, income and expense declarations: FL-150, declarations of disclosure: FL-142 and FL-140 as well as other pleadings, motions, and declarations. Including manipulating .pdf files. For example, editing a .pdf file to replace a word through out the document; adding pages to a .pdf file, and things of that sort.
- Maintain case files and organize documents for easy retrieval. The office is cloud based. We use mycase practice management software and lawyaw forms software. The files are stored within mycase in a manner similar to paper files: pleadings, discovery, correspondence, disclosures are the most common file types.
- Submit documents for e-filing via a CA state verified e-file company. This is annoying. Different e-filers have different systems, but generally you must identify the document from a list, then add the document to the e-file company portal, identify the lead document if there are numerous documents. All documents filed in civil law cases including family law in Los Angeles and Orange must be e-filed. We also work in adjoining counties, some of which still file with paper. You should be familiar with how to paper file via mail: two copies, plus a self-addressed stamped envelope and the filing fee check.
- Interview clients to gather necessary information for their cases such as obtaining income and expense information for the client and adverse party, information on the parties children, assets and debts.
- Communicate with clients, opposing counsel, and court personnel in a professional manner relating to, among other things, scheduling hearings, depositions and meetings.
- Assist with trial preparation, including organizing exhibits and witness lists. If you are interested, you can attend trial and help with the prosecution or defense of the trial or contested hearing.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing calendars: Court deadlines are important. For example, if the adverse party files a motion (in family law known as a request for orders), the legal assistant must know or at least know that they must determine the date the response to the motion is due and calendar it in the electronic firm calendar. Must know or at least know they must determine when the response must be served on the adverse party or adverse counsel. Calendar due dates for discovery: requests for production and interrogatories have statutory deadlines by which responses must be served.
REQUIREMENTS:
-at least one year of civil litigation law experience;
-demonstrable ability to e-file pleadings;
-demonstrable ability to calendar motion and discovery due dates;
- have ability to multi-task;
- be able to work independently and be self-motivated;
-be effective at time management;
-be willing to learn;
-have excellent speaking skills and good writing skills;
-be proficient with operating a computer (PC), Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat (and cheaper competitors of Adobe such as Nitro Express). Familiarity with manipulating .pdfs is really important.
-remote Job: You need a working computer, MS Office Installed, Adobe Acrobat Pro (or competitor) and internet.
-no paralegal certificate is necessary and more to the point, a paralegal certificate in and of itself is not considered. If you have a paralegal certificate and the experience that would be considered in determining compensation
-demonstrable proficiency in the required tasks, and demonstrable experience in the field are what matters. College degree is immaterial.
Hours: 4 hours per day guaranteed and flexible. This means you can determine to a degree when you choose to work, but there are deadlines for the completion of tasks. It will be rare to give you a task or set of tasks that must be completed that day. But it will happen sometimes. Probably, it will relate to filings that have procedural deadlines. If there is more work and you desire to do it, you can work more hours. I am hoping to find someone who enjoys working remotely. Who is mature and conscientious and who hopes to work full time in the future if the they enjoy the work and the interaction with the other staff.
Benefits: Four hours paid for legal holidays.
