Legal Assistant / Secretary (San Diego)

A growing national insurance defense practice is seeking a Legal Assistant / Legal Secretary to join its San Diego office.

We are moving efficiently and can take candidates from initial conversation to decision within approximately two weeks.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Legal Assistant to join our San Diego office and support a fast-paced litigation practice. This role is critical to keeping matters moving efficiently and requires strong attention to detail, comfort with litigation workflows, and the ability to stay ahead of deadlines. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and experienced in supporting attorneys and paralegals in complex civil litigation matters.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, format, proofread, and file legal documents in state and federal courts
• Manage daily matter calendars and proactively track deadlines
• Assist with opening new matters, maintaining organized digital case files, and applying firm naming conventions
• Coordinate service of pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and subpoenas as directed
• Draft and maintain basic litigation templates (pleadings shells, certificates of service, notices)
• Download, save, rename, and distribute court filings and correspondence to legal teams and clients
• Schedule depositions, hearings, meetings, and conference rooms
• Maintain organized electronic and physical files throughout the life of a case
• Provide general administrative support to attorneys, paralegals, and office operations as needed

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience as a legal assistant or legal secretary in civil litigation
• Prior experience in insurance defense or complex litigation required
• Strong knowledge of state and federal e-filing procedures
• Excellent document formatting and proofreading skills (Microsoft Word required)
• Tech-savvy and quick to learn new applications, with strong technical acumen and comfort adopting new systems and workflows
• Experience working in a case management system required; prior Clio experience is a strong plus
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and reliable under deadline pressure
• Professional communicator with a collaborative, team-first mindset

Work Structure

• In-office role (San Diego)
• Standard hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with occasional overtime as needed based on case demands

Benefits

• Competitive base salary (based on experience)
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance (including an HSA option)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 401(k) – Traditional and Roth options with employer contribution
• Company-paid Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, and Employee Assistance Program
• Optional Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Pet Insurance
• Paid PTO and 12 paid holidays per year

Confidential inquiries welcome.