Senior Litigation Paralegal

Job Description

Job Description

About Our Client

Our client is a nationally recognized criminal and civil trial boutique based in New York City. The firm was founded and is led by a premier trial lawyer who has taught trial advocacy at a top-tier law school and has earned recognition from leading legal directories and national media. The firm's attorneys are graduates of top-ten law schools. Together they bring more than 70 years of experience and more than 50 jury trials in some of the country's most complex and high-profile cases.

The firm's largest practice area is criminal defense, including white-collar defense. It also handles complex civil litigation and appeals. The firm has active cases in the Southern District of New York, in New York state courts, and in California courts.

This is a small, process-driven team. The firm does the hard work up front so that cases stay under control at the back end. Everyone shares an "all hands-on deck" attitude, and the goal is always the best result for the client.

Description

Our client is hiring a Senior Litigation Paralegal for its Manhattan office. This is a senior, on-site role. You will provide direct support to the firm's four full-time attorneys, and you will lead and mentor one junior paralegal. In short, you will run and raise the level of the firm's paralegal function.

This is real trial work, not just document review. The firm is preparing for a major federal trial expected in the first half of 2027, with motion practice already underway. You will help prepare and run that trial from start to finish: pre-trial, trial, and post-trial.

You will not be asked to draft legal arguments. You will be asked to produce clean, precise, error-free documents, to catch mistakes across complex filings, and to keep every deliverable organized and on time.

What you will do

Case management

• Help the attorneys manage and organize cases from start to finish.
• Maintain and update case files, including pleadings, discovery documents, correspondence, expert reports, and exhibits.
• Build and track case timelines, calendars, and deadlines so that nothing is missed.
• Coordinate with clients, witnesses, experts, vendors, opposing counsel, and co-counsel.

Documents and court filings

• Prepare, proofread, and edit legal documents, including pleadings, motions, briefs, affidavits, and sentencing memos.
• Bluebook and cite-check briefs, and prepare tables of contents and tables of authorities.
• File documents in state and federal court and follow all court rules and e-filing steps.
• Organize and maintain electronic document databases, and keep all files confidential and easy to find.

Discovery and investigation

• Help prepare and respond to discovery requests, including document productions and interrogatories.
• Manage document review, often across large volumes of data.
• Draft memos, correspondence, charts, and research summaries.

Legal research

• Run legal research using Westlaw, LexisNexis, and PACER.

Trial support

• Prepare trial exhibits, witness lists, and other trial materials.
• Provide on-site support during trials, hearings, and depositions.
• Manage exhibits, coordinate witnesses, and run courtroom technology.

Supervision and quality control

• Mentor and train the junior paralegal.
• Keep quality and consistency high across all of the team's work.

Time recording

• Enter your time each day into the firm's practice management software.

Why this role

• You will work side by side with nationally recognized trial lawyers on serious, high-profile cases.
• You will do hands-on trial work, not just back-office support.
• You will hold a senior seat, lead the paralegal function, and grow into more case and people management as the firm takes on more work.
• You will be part of a true team. On every filing date, the responsible attorney is in the office and stays until the filing is complete.
• Because the role is non-exempt, your overtime during heavy trial periods is paid, and the firm also offers a year-end bonus.

Work Environment

• On-site at the firm's Manhattan office. There is no remote or hybrid option.
• Core hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• During trial preparation and trial, expect significant overtime and some weekend work. This is not a nine-to-five job, and you should be ready for that.
• Day-to-day travel is minimal. During trials, you may need to travel to and from courthouses, sometimes on short notice.

Requirements

Essential

• Paralegal experience at a large law firm.
• Hands-on litigation and trial experience, including trial preparation and trial execution. This includes support for motion practice, sentencing memos, exhibit management, witness coordination, and e-filing.
• Experience with New York state court and federal court filings and procedures, including the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
• Strong Bluebook and cite-checking skills, and experience preparing tables of contents and tables of authorities.
• Excellent proofreading, attention to detail, and written communication. You can produce clean, error-free legal documents and catch mistakes across complex filings.
• A strong sense of ownership. You work accurately and do not need constant supervision.
• The ability to supervise and mentor a junior paralegal and keep quality high across all deliverables.
• Comfort supporting the defense of clients who face serious criminal charges, including matters that involve sexual assault and sex trafficking.
• The ability to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines, including extended hours during trial preparation and trial.
• Proficiency with Westlaw, LexisNexis, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and legal practice management software.
• A bachelor's degree.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Availability to work on-site in Manhattan, with overtime, occasional weekends, and short-notice travel to courthouses when needed.

Preferred

• 5 to 7 years of professional paralegal experience.
• A bachelor's degree from a competitive university, and/or a paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program.
• Experience in criminal defense or white-collar criminal defense.
• Familiarity with California court formatting and filing.
• Experience with eDiscovery and litigation tools such as Relativity, CaseMap/TimeMap, West Case Notebook, and PACER.
• A healthy sense of humor.

Benefits

• Base salary: $90,000 to $120,000 per year, based on experience.
• This is a non-exempt role, so overtime is paid.
• Year-end performance bonus.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 10 days of paid time off (PTO).
• 5 paid sick days.
• A 401(k) plan is being put in place and is expected to be available by the end of 2026.

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