Paralegal

Opportunity for a Paralegal to join the Trusts & Estates Group of a Am Law 200 Firm in Chicago.

The Firm

Our client is a prestigious Am Law 200 mid-sized firm with a strong presence across key U.S. legal markets. The firm is built around finance and pairs top-tier finance practices with a long-established Trusts & Estates group that has advised families and institutions for more than 70 years. This position follows a hybrid schedule, so an in-office presence is required, with flexibility for some remote work.

The Practice

The group has advised individuals, families and institutions on estate, probate and trust matters for more than 70 years, often acting for several generations of the same family. Its work spans estate and gift planning, business succession, charitable planning, estate and trust administration, fiduciary litigation, and income tax planning and compliance. It also acts as trust counsel to banks, trust companies and other corporate fiduciaries. The team includes ACTEC Fellows, a former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Trust Law Committee, and attorneys with tax LLMs.

Main Partner Focus

The two main partners for this group represent individuals, families, banks and trust companies across a wide range of estate planning and trust and estate matters. Their work includes sophisticated planning structures, business succession, charitable vehicles, fiduciary tax returns, probate administration and contested trust and estate disputes. One partner leads the department and is ranked by Chambers High Net Worth for Private Wealth Law in Illinois. The other partner brings a background in banking and trust administration. He advises fiduciaries on administration and tax compliance, acts as a resource to the firm’s finance practices on trust structures in lending transactions, and regularly presents to trust officers and in-house counsel at banks and trust companies.

The Opportunity

The firm seeks a bright, hard-working candidate with strong communication skills and excellent attention to detail. This is a rare opportunity to work closely with attorneys in the Trusts & Estates practice group, with direct client contact.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have excellent document production skills (typing, spelling, grammar and punctuation) and time management skills, as well as strong interpersonal, analytical, research and writing skills. The ability to project a professional presence and demonstrate flexibility in work assignments is essential.

• Experience working in a law firm’s Trust’s and Estate’s practice
• Experience working in probate, federal and Illinois estate tax preparation, fiduciary and personal income tax at a law firm
• Demonstrated ability to use Word, Excel, document management and redlining applications, and timekeeping programs
• Commitment to client service and the ability to work independently and manage multiple fast-paced matters under deadline pressure
• Attention to detail and timelines, and the ability to organize and prioritize tasks
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, in order to communicate effectively with, and follow instructions from, a diverse group of clients, attorneys and staff
• Ability to understand and use computer equipment, software and search tools to locate information, set up databases and spreadsheets, and work with form documents and other applications
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
• Commitment to following all firm security protocols and maintaining information security

Salary: In accordance with pay transparency laws, the expected salary range for this position is $80,000–$120,000.