Virtual Litigation Paralegal

If you are a highly experienced family law senior paralegal who enjoys working with like-minded individuals in a harmonious atmosphere and who would like to gain control of your work/life balance, The Murphy Law Firm may be the right fit for you. The Murphy Law Firm, a law firm practicing in Maryland and the District of Columbia, is growing quickly and needs to add a remote, certified Family Law Senior Paralegal to its team. This paralegal will perform routine legal document preparation but will also be the go-to paralegal for high-level non-routine drafting assignments. This position will require the paralegal to draft non-routine documents, such as modifications and contempt exceptions, from scratch. This paralegal will prepare trial binders and will perform substantive billable legal work under the direction of our founding and managing attorney. A Paralegal’s goal is to relieve the attorney he or she works with of a portion of the tasks involved in the practice of law. We are a small but fully staffed law firm with one attorney (we are currently looking for a second attorney to join us), a case manager, two paralegals (you would be the third), one intake/legal assistant, one intake specialist, and a billing specialist. As a paralegal, you are here to work on legal cases and help our attorneys prepare for trials and any other matters related to our cases. THE TERM "PARALEGAL" IS NOT THE SAME AS, NOR DOES IT INCLUDE WHAT IS TYPICALLY KNOWN AS A LEGAL ASSISTANT, LEGAL SECRETARY, OR RECEPTIONIST/INTAKE.) ALSO, THIS POSITION IS VERY DRAFTING-INTENSIVE, SO YOU NEED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DRAFTING LEGAL DOCUMENTS FROM BEGINNING TO END, SOMETIMES WITHOUT A TEMPLATE. Our caseload is primarily family law, and we will need someone with vast experience in this practice area. We also practice personal injury and criminal law, and some experience in these practice areas is highly desirable. This is a virtual position, and we anticipate that this position will begin at 35-40 hrs/wk Responsibilities: In addition, the Paralegal will Review tasks in MyCase (case management system) Docket (Scheduling) tasks Fill out legal forms Draft letters and court pleadings Draft documents by customizing standard forms Write reports and legal documents, both routine and high-level Perform thorough research related to laws and judicial decisions, about current as well as past cases Help the attorney prepare cases for hearings and mediation Prepare trial and mediation notebooks Communicate with clients with updates and gather information Draft proposed orders, settlement agreements, and parenting plans Draft motions Prepare discovery and responses to discovery demands Prepare discovery dispute letters Back up phone reception Ensure that trial preparation begins on time Make sure that our attorney is ready and has everything needed for court Be able to spot and verbalize solutions to variations like discovery deficiencies in an alimony case Know what to do when calendaring conflicts occur Other tasks as assigned Qualifications: Must Haves Must have at least five (5) years of family law paralegal experience (This is non-negotiable) Must be highly knowledgeable in legal drafting and processes Must have a paralegal certificate or an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies Must be diligent in moving cases forward Must be able to exercise excellent decision-making skills and capabilities Must be detail-oriented Must be able to multitask Must be self-motivated Must be patient Must be willing to learn new software applications Must be familiar with Google Drive and G-Suite products Preferences Criminal and/or Personal Injury law experience is highly desired MyCase (case management system) experience is highly desired Maryland and DC experience is highly desired but not required Compensation: $50,000 - $65,000 yearly
• In addition, the Paralegal will • Review tasks in MyCase (case management system) • Docket (Scheduling) tasks • Fill out legal forms • Draft letters and court pleadings • Draft documents by customizing standard forms • Write reports and legal documents, both routine and high-level • Perform thorough research related to laws and judicial decisions, about current as well as past cases • Help the attorney prepare cases for hearings and mediation • Prepare trial and mediation notebooks • Communicate with clients with updates and gather information • Draft proposed orders, settlement agreements, and parenting plans • Draft motions • Prepare discovery and responses to discovery demands • Prepare discovery dispute letters • Back up phone reception • Ensure that trial preparation begins on time • Make sure that our attorney is ready and has everything needed for court • Be able to spot and verbalize solutions to variations like discovery deficiencies in an alimony case • Know what to do when calendaring conflicts occur • Other tasks as assigned