Summary

The Legal Administrative Assistant (LAA), in collaboration with and in support of the firm’s strategic initiatives, provides a wide range of administrative and clerical support to attorneys and legal teams. This role is essential in ensuring the smooth operation of the firm’s administrative functions and requires a high level of organization, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. This position collaborates regularly with Legal Support Assistants (LSAs), Legal Executive Assistants (LEAs), and attorneys on various tasks and assignments, ensuring work is properly allocated and completed on time. The LAA role requires a high level of flexibility and willingness to work in a fast-paced environment where multiple projects may have to be prioritized for the firm’s attorneys. Projects will often require high-level technical skills with Microsoft Office programs or various types of legal software commonly seen in law firms.

Location

This position is located in our Chicagooffice and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities

Provides practice-specific support to multiple associates, partners, and other attorneys, leveraging knowledge about unique practice tasks, requirements, and functions and can prioritize work accordingly.

Drafts, edits, and proofreads legal documents, communications, files, or presentations to ensure accuracy.

Provides day-to-day information governance (IG) and records management support for client/matter work by helping ensure content is organized, stored in approved repositories, and maintained in accordance with firm policies and procedures, including proactive matter close-out activities. Serves as a liaison between attorneys/matter teams and IG/Records resources as needed.

Collaborates with other LAAs or LEAs to complete more complex projects or provide administrative support for any assigned attorneys. Provides mentorship, guidance, and delegation to LSAs who assist with projects as appropriate. Provides key status updates on projects to any assigned attorneys, offering or delegating direct-action support in the event of escalation.

Organizes and monitors assignments within the firm’s workflow tool, ensuring that administrative tasks are properly allocated and completed on time. These projects can include but are not limited to time entry and expense reimbursements.

Oversees billing matters including all approval forms and collaboration correspondence, ensures prebills are processed by the appropriate team accurately and timely; serves as a proxy attorneys to address questions or issues related to the billing process. Ensures final bills are delivered in a timely manner and initiates follow-up at the attorney’s request.

Serves as a trusted advisor for associates, partners, or other attorneys. LAAs will be expected to handle confidential or sensitive matters using discretion and to promote professionalism and exceptional service in all interactions with attorneys, clients, and other DLA Piper business professionals.

Desired Skills

The below job competencies and skills are required for the Legal Administrative Assistant position in order to perform the job successfully.

The ability to communicate effectively in the native language of the region via e-mail or via voice is essential. Takes initiative to enhance existing and learn additional skills. Prior experience working with Microsoft Office products or legal software such as iManage, Aderant, DocXTools, Innova, etc. Must have the ability to adapt to application upgrades and the use of AI-Powered Tools for document production, review, and case research. Must have ability to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to learn new skills and adapt to evolving needs of the attorney’s practice. Must have the ability to be flexible within a fast-paced environment and ensure that all deliverables and work products adhere to firm best practices, and a willingness to receive constructive feedback from attorneys and managers. Open to collaborating with and supporting Legal Support Assistants (LSAs) as appropriate. Works well under pressure and able to stay positive and productive.

Must have a general familiarity with legal terminology, documentation, and best practices for law firms or similar settings. Exhibits strong attention to detail and excellent problem-solving skills that enable them to make quick decisions. Possesses prior experience in workflow-management related roles. Demonstrates proficiency in virtual firm collaboration tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to communicate with internal and external resources on behalf of the attorney’s practice.

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education

Bachelor's Degree in Legal Studies, Business Administration, or a related field.

Minimum Years of Experience

2 years of experience working in a legal setting under the supervision of a licensed attorney or office administrator, or within a professional services environment.

Essential Job Expectations

While the specific job requirements of a DLA Piper position may vary depending upon scope of the job and area of specialty, there are certain universal requirements that are expected of all DLA Piper employees, which include but are not limited to:

Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.

Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.

Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.

Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.

Foster positive work relationships.

Comply with all firm policies and practices.

Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.

Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.

Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Work Environment

The individual selected for this position may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement comprised of remote and in-office work, the requirement for which will be determined in coordination with the hiring manager or supervisor and may be modified in the firm’s discretion in the future.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm’s discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment.

Application Process
Applicants must apply directly online instead of sending application materials via email.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to permit individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions and responsibilities of the position or to participate in the job selection process. If you have a request for an accommodation during the application process, please contact [email protected].

Agency applications will not be considered.

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position.

The firm’s expected hiring range for this position is $37.50 - $48.75 per hour depending on the candidate’s geographic market location. Non-exempt positions will be paid on an hourly basis and paid overtime in accordance with applicable laws.

The compensation offered for employment will also be dependent on other factors including the candidate’s experience, skills, educational and professional background, and overall qualifications. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k).

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