Paralegal

Job Role: Paralegal

Effective Date/Revision Date: June 8, 2026


Overview:


Paralegals perform substantive billable legal work under the direction of one or more attorneys in the office. A Paralegal's primary goal is to support our legal team with legal research, drafting memos, pleadings, motions, and orders, and preparing for hearings and trials. A Paralegal provides quality billable service to clients at a lower billable rate than an attorney, providing a benefit to the clients of the Firm.
The Paralegal is a Non-Exempt position.


Reporting Relationship:


Paralegals perform their duties under the direction of one or more attorneys to whom they may be assigned. Paralegals are supervised by the Managing Paralegal.


Authority:


Paralegals do not have direct reports.


Paralegals are prohibited by the California Law and the State Bar Association rules from practicing law. All work done by Paralegals must be in support of and under the direct supervision of an attorney. In dealing with clients, Paralegals must be careful not to inadvertently slip into the unlawful practice of law. This would include answering client questions about what will happen in their case or recommending that a client undertake a certain course of action during their case.


Responsibilities:

1. Manage caseload and take initiative in ensuring the case moves forward and all work is done in a timely manner.
2. Know and understand scope of work and strategy for matters assigned
3. Communicate with clients, experts, and other parties to provide updates and gather information; answer basic questions about the status of the case.
4. Open, maintain and close client files (both paper & electronic).
5. Perform initial case assessment and document review.

Created: Feb 29, 2024 Updated:

1. Monitor case progress and move the case forward without attorney prompting, including responsibilities for upcoming deadlines, and important timeframes/milestones
2. Drafting various legal documents including but not limited to Judicial Council Forms, Motions, Pleadings, Petitions, Affidavits/Declarations, Court Orders, Discovery, Subpoenas, Agreements and Proof of Service Declarations.
3. Draft documents, indexes, chronologies; deeds and real estate transfers (PCOR, Parent-Child Exclusion); draft letters and court documents; fill out legal forms; write reports, etc.
4. Help attorneys prepare cases for mediations/hearings including calculating deadlines, scheduling remote appearances as needed, calendaring deadlines and ensuring attorneys and clients have work done/reviewed prior to those deadlines for timely filings.
5. Assist with document reviews for identifying and prioritizing issues for completion.
6. Research and case analysis for trust administration, probate, and conservatorships including judicial decisions about current as well as past cases
7. Review and research statutory regulations including the California Probate Code, California Rules of Court and local rules.
8. Assist lawyers in the courtroom (if needed)
9. Draft estate planning documents; including but not limited to trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.
10. Maintain records in case management system, digital filing, physical filing
11. Enter billable and non-billable time in the case management system
12. Photocopy, collate, scan and related functions (as back up to assistant)
13. Provide direct feedback to the other team members of the office, including attorneys and the owner on what is working and not working in the office related to policies and procedures.
14. Able to reach above head, lift boxes of up to 10 lbs.

Matrix of Tasks
Daily

• Review daily reminders and update Clio task list to ensure all tasks are completed or moved to the date that they will be performed
• Review daily, weekly, and upcoming monthly calendar items and prioritize workload
• Complete tasks as assigned
• Triage and prioritize responses to emails
• Organize, sort, and summarize case information and files
• Docket (schedule) legal events/ case milestones
• Draft letters/reports/ documents
• Prepare for meetings and hearings
• Enter billable time contemporaneously Weekly
• Meet with associate and legal team for case status updates
• Provide client updates Monthly
• Attend Case Status Update meetings and update records

Education & Experience
An Associate's Degree in Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies or Bachelor's Degree or a minimum of two years' paralegal/legal assistant experience supported by attorney letter of reference.
A Paralegal should have experience in a law firm. Experience as a legal secretary or legal assistant is especially pertinent, and candidates with this background will be given preference.
The ability to manage a case load of clients as well as analyze priority of cases and upcoming deadlines including the ability to extrapolate information from incomplete data and capable of problem-solving when cases deviate from standard timelines.
Willingness to provide direct feedback to the office.
Self-motivated, able to work independently as needed and work alongside the office team. Strong verbal and written skills (including no typos or spelling errors) with the ability to communicate with clients, other counsel, court clerks, financial entity personnel and various local and government agencies.
Strong computer skills and ability to troubleshoot basic computer issues. Ability to learn and adapt to new technology or platforms used by office. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PDF Software, Legal Calendaring Software and Clio Manage, Lawya, Judicial Council Forms
While performing the duties of this job, an employee is required to stand, walk, bend, talk, hear, stoop, kneel, use hands and fingers to operate computers and phones, sit for long periods of time, and on occasion lift up to 20-pounds.
*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.


Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Top competencies/characteristics to be successful in the POSITION
  • Relational/Human
  • Patient
  • Receptive
  • Self-Starter
  • Solution focused
  • Detail-Oriented
• Top competencies/characteristics to be successful in RELATIONSHIPS
  • Respectful
  • Inclusive and supportive
  • Growth-minded and accountable
  • Candid

• Adaptive
• Strives for excellence
• Technologically savvy
• Critical thinker who finds solutions

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