Legal Practice Assistant

Cozen O’Connor has an excellent opportunity for a Legal Practice Assistant with strong litigation experience to join our Charlotte office.  This position plays a crucial role in providing primary support to litigators in our Global Insurance, Subrogation & Recovery, and Business Litigation practices.

This role provides comprehensive litigation and administrative support to attorneys while serving as a key operational resource within the office. The role requires significant experience with electronic filing in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Federal courts, along with a strong understanding of litigation procedures, court rules, case file management, and deadline management.

The successful candidate will have strong administrative skills, a working knowledge of insurance and legal processes, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and exceptional attention to detail. The position requires excellent communication and organizational skills, and adherence to client procedures for coordinating depositions, processing invoices, and client communications.

In addition to traditional legal support responsibilities, this position will work closely with the Regional Office Manager on office operations, facilities coordination, vendor management, and other in-office administrative functions that contribute to the efficient operation of the Charlotte office.

• Draft, format, proofread, and maintain legal documents and correspondence; organize and manage electronic client and matter files within iManage in accordance with firm procedures.
• Handle all aspects of electronic court filings in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Federal courts, including monitoring filing requirements, deadlines, and local court rules.
• Maintain attorney calendars and monitor deadlines, court appearances, depositions, arbitrations, mediations, and statutes of limitations.
• Process attorney expense reports and vendor invoices in Chrome River or in accordance with client business practices.
• Draft and update case management documents, case file logs, litigation budgets, discovery responses, and status reports.
• Organize and maintain client and matter files in electronic and paper filing systems in accordance with firm procedures.
• Coordinate all aspects of meetings and legal proceedings like depositions, mediations, and arbitrations, including scheduling clients, witnesses, court reporters, mediators, and conference calls.
• Prepare and assemble materials for hearings, depositions, mediations, arbitrations, trials, and settlement conferences.
• Communicate professionally with clients, opposing counsel, court personnel, vendors, insurance carriers, and internal departments.
• Process new client and matter intake, including engagement documentation, matter setup, and file organization.
• Enter, update, and maintain information in case management, claims management, and other firm systems.
• Process attorney time entries, expense reports, check requests, travel arrangements, and other administrative support activities.
• Assist with office operations, including facility and building-related matters, vendor coordination, office services, and special projects in partnership with the Regional Office Manager.
• Perform general administrative duties including scanning, copying, mail distribution, records management, and document production.
  

• At least 5 years of experience as a practice assistant or related legal support role.
• Typing skills of 75+ w.p.m.
• Proficiency in state and federal court filings, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Federal District Court.
• Must possess strong organizational and communication skills, both verbal and written, and be able to professionally interact with clients, attorneys, and staff.
• Excellent proofreading skills.
• Must be detail-oriented and able to multitask.
• Strong document processing and project management skills.
• Proficient in advanced levels of Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and the use and application of Styles, Redlining, and Adobe Pro.
• Must be familiar with setting up and processing Tables of Contents and Tables of Authorities.
• Must be able to operate the Firm’s software applications on an advanced level within a reasonable period of time, and possess excellent reading comprehension and proofreading skills.
• Experience in working collaboratively and applying individual commitment to a group or team environment in the spirit of cooperation to successfully complete tasks efficiently and quickly.
• Experience with document management programs (iManage preferred).