Accounts Receivable and Billing Assistant (Chicago)

The Accounts Receivable and Billing Assistant supports the Firm's financial operations by managing daily cash application and the client billing cycle. This includes applying and reconciling payments to client accounts, preparing and processing pre-bills through final billing, and responding to billing and cash application inquiries from attorneys, clients, and staff. 

Responsibilities

Accounts Receivable

· Learn and understand cash application procedures and client retainer rules relative to position responsibilities.

· Apply daily cash receipts, including pre-paid deposits, credit card and Zelle payments, ACH’s, and wires to respective client matter record or trust account.

· Balance to daily deposit reporting.

· Unpost A/R payments, NSF checks and document such requests according to established procedure and in alignment with policy.

· Research cash application inquiries from attorneys, clients and teammates in a timely manner, correct discrepancies, and document outcomes.

Billing

• Learn and understand billing and collection policies relative to position responsibilities.
• Manage the full-billing cycle for designated clients and/or attorneys including:

--Importing and posting time from Laurel, or other time entry system as designated by the Firm, to Juris.

--Generating and distributing pre-bills, along with related inventory reports, by client and/or attorney or other Firm directed process.

--Editing prebills by processing and transferring time, setting up fee schedules and processing rate changes as needed, making requested edits to narratives, and ensuring bill formatting is appropriate and as requested.

--Posting bills as directed.

• Assist with reversals, rebilling, writing off invoices as directed.
• Research billing inquiries from attorneys, clients and teammates, correct issues, and document outcomes.
• Respond to and handle request/questions in a timely manner including such items as: address changes; off-cycle pre-bill requests, and running pre-designed reports such as time and expense, work in progress summaries, billing analysis and history reports; and client/matter listings.
• Update procedural step documentation for various assigned clients as procedure requirements change.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Mathematical and technological aptitude to operate in a computerized accounting/billing system.
• Demonstrated logical thinking capabilities to follow through on any given task or project.
• Meticulous attention to detail, quality, and accuracy in execution of tasks.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, manage multiple assignments and deadlines in a timely and almost error-free manner, i.e., balance concurrent responsibilities.
• Willingness to assume increasing responsibilities and carry them out to completion.
• Ability to effectively and professionally collaborate and communicate with attorneys, teammates and where necessary, clients. This includes ability to explain system functionality, process requirements, and applicable policies in layman’s terms.
• A positive, flexible, and proactive self-starter who has strong problem solving, social and interpersonal skills and can function both independently and within a team.
• A discerning individual who can work interdependently, promote inclusivity, and maintain perspective and objectivity in a workplace.
• Recognizes and supports the Firm’s service-oriented goals and priorities.
• Professional in appearance and demeanor.

Education, Experience and Technical Skills

• Some vocational, certificate program, or college education in the area of accounting or business math required, unless professional experience replaces this.
• Two (2) years of experience with Juris or other legal industry accounting system, specifically in accounts receivable, cash application methods, reconciliation and cash balancing.
• Two (2) years of experience with Juris or other legal industry accounting system, specifically in legal billing and includes knowledge of tables such as rate, cost, billing formats and related others.
• Experience with Microsoft 365 including basic knowledge of Excel and Word and proficiency with Outlook.
• Proficiency in PDF program including ability to manipulate text and pages, and add text.
• Experience with legal document management systems. Net Documents is a plus.
• Practical knowledge of office equipment such as printers, scanners, photocopiers and calculators.