Pre-Litigation Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

WGK Personal Injury Lawyers is hiring a Pre-Litigation Attorney to own personal injury files from the treatment phase through settlement. This is a case ownership role, not a task role. You will carry your own docket, control strategy on every file, and be the decision-maker on valuation, demand posture, and negotiation.

You will work with a team of pre-litigation legal assistants who handle the administrative engine of each file: treatment set-up, medical record and bill retrieval, opening first-party and liability claims, PIP and MedPay submissions, and lost wage documentation. Your job is to direct that work, hold it to standard, and convert completed files into resolved cases. The majority of our volume is auto and auto-adjacent (pedestrian, bicycle, motorcycle, truck, scooter), with premises liability and dog bite matters throughout.

We are an AI-forward firm. We expect this attorney to use AI tools actively for demand drafting, medical chronologies, and case analysis, with attorney judgment on every output.

Benefits :

• Health insurance with 80% of premiums employer-paid, effective the first of the month following 60 days of employment

• Health reimbursement card covering copays, currently up to $2,650 per year

• Dental and vision insurance are available through payroll deduction, with the same waiting period

• $20,000 term life insurance at no cost to you, effective the first of the month following 60 days of employment

• 401(k) with employer match up to 4%, eligible after six months of employment

• Unlimited paid time off

• Gym membership covered

• Free parking at our downtown Baltimore office

• Optional supplemental life, short-term disability, and additional coverage through payroll deduction

Commission:
Commission is a percentage of the firm's fee on every case you resolve, and the percentage escalates by how far you advance the case: a base rate on cases settled pre-suit, a higher rate on cases resolved after filing suit or through mediation, higher again through arbitration, and the highest rate on cases tried to a favorable verdict.

Separately, you earn 30% of the firm's net fee on any case you independently originate and bring into the firm . Origination commission stacks on top of resolution commission on the same case.

Specific commission rates are provided in writing during the interview process and confirmed in your offer letter.

$70,000 - $100,000 yearly

Case Strategy and Ownership

• Own an assigned pre-litigation docket from the treatment phase through resolution
• Set case strategy at intake handoff, including liability analysis, damages theory, and target resolution timeline
• Review the full course of treatment with each client and confirm treatment is complete, appropriate, and documented before demand
• Evaluate every file against Maryland contributory negligence exposure and flag risk early, not at the demand stage
• Track statute of limitations deadlines on every assigned file and drive resolution well ahead of them

Supervision of Pre-Litigation Legal Assistants

• Direct and quality-control the work of pre-litigation legal assistants on your files, including treatment set-up, record and bill retrieval, claim openings, and lost wage collection
• Audit each file against the firm's Pre-Litigation Checklist before it advances, confirming police reports, body-worn camera and CCTV footage, scene and injury photographs, witness identification, and liability acceptance are complete and saved to Filevine
• Confirm policy limits (liability and UIM) have been requested and entered in Filevine, and that PIP coverage status is documented, exhausted where applicable, and supported by a PIP log
• Provide direct, timely feedback and coaching to legal assistants; escalate performance issues to firm leadership
• Serve as the substantive resource for the pre-litigation support team on medical, coverage, and procedural questions

Demand Preparation and Negotiation

• Draft, review, and finalize demand packages that are complete, accurate, and persuasive
• Confirm all records and bills are received, sorted, and scanned to Filevine by provider and date of service before demand issues
• Prepare demand cover letters and damages narratives that reflect the actual medical record, not a template
• Negotiate directly with adjusters, hold firm on valuation, and know when a case is being lowballed
• Present settlement authority discussions to clients clearly and honestly, including realistic outcomes

Liens and Resolution

• Manage Medicare and Medicaid lien resolution, including CMS conditional payment processes, and confirm final lien logs are obtained
• Identify and resolve private liens, health insurer subrogation claims, and letters of protection
• Cross-reference every lien against the client's course of treatment for accuracy before disbursement
• Ensure settlement statements are accurate and clients understand their net recovery

Case Transfer and Client Communication

• Make the call on which files resolve pre-suit and which transfer to litigation, based on denied liability, an unreasonable offer, or an approaching statute of limitations
• Prepare complete, litigation-ready files at transfer with no gaps in records, bills, coverage, or lien status
• Personally advise clients of the transition to the litigation phase and set expectations for what follows
• Maintain current client contact information and consistent, proactive client communication throughout the file

• Active Maryland bar license in good standing (required)

• Plaintiff-side personal injury experience, pre-litigation case handling strongly preferred

• Demonstrated experience drafting demand packages and negotiating directly with insurance adjusters

• Working knowledge of Maryland PIP, MedPay, UM and UIM coverage, and the practical mechanics of policy limits demands

• Working knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid, ERISA, and private lien resolution

• Experience directing or supervising support staff, or clear readiness to take that on

• Comfort using AI drafting and analysis tools; prior experience preferred, genuine willingness to learn required

• Filevine or comparable case management experience preferred

• Ability to carry a high-volume docket independently with minimal oversight

• Excellent written communication and drafting skills

• D.C. bar admission is a plus

• Spanish fluency is a plus

Founded in Baltimore in 1977 by William Kolodner, now led by his daughter Jill Kolodner and grandson Hunter Duke. We handle auto and auto-adjacent matters, premises liability, dog bites, workers' compensation, and wrongful death across Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our team is built around six things we hold each other to: Detail, Resolve, Ingenuity, Voice, Efficiency, and Neighborhood.