Legal Support 1 or 2

JOB TITLE: Legal Support Staff 1 or 2

DEPARTMENT/UNIT: Legal Advocacy Unit

REPORTS TO (TITLE): Litigation Support Manager

LOCATION: Los Angeles Ontario San Diego Bay Sacramento or Fresno (Hybrid)

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Nonexempt; Fulltime Regular 37.5 hours

SALARY: $22.71 - $36.59 per hour (Depending on Experience)

As part of our commitment to internal equity salary offers are determined through a structured analysis that considers each candidates relevant education and years of substantially similar experience for the position. We review the candidates resume to assess relevant experience in relation to current employees in comparable roles. This process ensures our compensation decisions are fair consistent and aligned with organizational equity standards.

WHO WE ARE

Disability Rights California (DRC) defends advances and strengthens the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.

DRC works for a world where all disabled people have power and are treated with dignity and this world people with disabilities are supported valued included in their communities afford the same opportunities as people without disabilities and make their own decisions.

DRC values all forms of human diversity. We are committed to a culture of belonging where all people are order to be effective advocates for all people with disabilities we must address discrimination in all its forms including the unique challenges faced by people who experience the intersection of multiple systems of discrimination.

OUR CULTURE

Disability Rights California is recognized as Gold Level Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Leader by the State Bar of California! We work to promote and create a culture where people feel empowered to be their true authentic selves to do their best work for our clients and the communities we serve.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The Legal Support 1/2 serves as the primary support to enhance the effectiveness of the legal/advocacy staff by providing legal litigation and administrative support to a team of attorneys.

This position provides legal support to multiple attorneys and cases. A Legal Support 1/2 assists attorneys in preparing litigation cases from onset through post-trial; manages projects as assigned by attorneys (this can range from production to case file management prepping for depositions or trial); assist with production or creation of various legal forms and pleadings correspondence and other case related documents.

This position requires flexibility as it requires working in the office to complete tasks.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

DRC provides reasonable disability accommodations to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Legal Support 1 essential functions include:

Technical 80%

• This position formats files and serves legal pleadings in multiple jurisdictions including State Federal and appellate courts or Office of Administrative Hearings.
• Performs clerical and secretarial work; and coordinates and schedules court-related services with specific instruction.
• Interact with courts administrative agencies governmental entities co-counsel opposing counsel or witnesses;
• Calendaring and ensuring deadlines are met;
• Compose correspondence.
• Establishes and maintains case and administrative files and records; ensure confidentiality of files and records.
• Arrange meetings/ Prepares agendas.
• Other duties as assigned.

Customer Service 20%

• Communicate with clients direct telephone calls and coordinate conference calls.
• Communicate with other Practice Groups Departments and Units.

Legal Support 2 essential functions include:

Technical 80%

• Proficiency in working without constant supervision individually or as part of a team to achieve project goals.
• Coordinate assemble and serve multi-document filings in Administrative Agencies Federal and State courts. Familiarity with E-filing is a must.
• Perform and oversee both simple and complex cite checking and proof reading of briefs and other legal documents.
• In addition to preparing shells for complaints motions must also be familiar with preparing subpoenas summonses and written discovery.
• Establish maintain and monitor recordkeeping work in connection with data/document management and case management following DRC and case protocols.
• Schedule/calendar court appearances depositions arbitrations mediations client meetings conference calls and maintains calendar and due dates for attorneys as required.
• Prepare motion binders and special working binders.
• Establishes and maintains filing and records electronic formats.
• Assists with the discovery process including preparing for deposition propounding and responding to written discovery and preparing for expert discovery.
• Assists with trial preparation including creating trial notebooks/binders identifying and organizing exhibits coordinating witness schedules maintaining trial calendars and communicating effectively with opposing counsel and courtroom staff.
• Ensures that all correspondence or other documentation is formatted proofread and dispatched in a timely manner.
• Perform online legal research for legal advocacy staff.
• Sorts reads and annotates incoming mail and documents as required.
• Create and maintain legal templates and forms.
• Generate and prepare attorneys fees and expense reports.
• Provide mentorship review and verify support staffs work including researching and understanding court rules (federal & state) court as they apply to deadlines filings and formatting of documents.
• Assists with printing scanning organizing exhibit notebooks/binders and preparing service.
• Make documents accessible.
• Works collaboratively within and across practice groups.
• Ability to track time contemporaneously.
• As needed assist with Office Operations tasks and coverage.
• Other duties as assigned.

Customer Service 20%

• Communicate with clients direct telephone calls and coordinate conference calls.
• Communicate with other Practice Groups Departments and Units.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel infrequently for activities such as practice group and support staff meetings training or outreach activities up to 10% of the time.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - LEGAL SUPPORT 1

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED)
• At least one-year of legal support experience (or two-years) of other administrative experience using Microsoft Office
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite Office 365 including Teams Word Outlook and Excel

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS - LEGAL SUPPORT 1

• Two or more years of legal secretarial experience.
• Experience using database applications web-based applications or work-flow systems.
• Experience using Microsoft Office suite programs including Sharepoint and PowerPoint.
• Experience working in a virtual environment.
• Experience working with nonprofit and/or social service agencies.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within disability organizations and/or within disability communities.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within multi-ethnic organizations and/or within multi-ethnic communities.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within low-income communities.
• Experience working with and/or sensitivity to persons with disabilities and/or experience working with and/or sensitivity to persons from multi-ethnic communities.
• Life experience as a person with a disability OR direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - LEGAL SUPPORT 2

• Five (5) years of law office Litigation Support experience working on state and federal case matters.
• Two years of experience successfully leading developing mentoring and training other legal support staff
• A certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association or an accredited postsecondary institution as defined in California Business and Professions Code Section 6450 (c)(2) can substitute one year of law office Litigation Support experience.
• Demonstrated Project Management skills is a MUST. The ability to divide and delegate a larger task in smaller manageable assignments to meet a goal.
• Proficient using Microsoft Office 365 (Teams Word Excel SharePoint) and knowledge using case management and calendaring software and applications.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES - LEGAL SUPPORT 2

• Proficient in complying with the rules of court for lodging filing and serving court documents.
• Competency in the creation and drafting of a variety of legal court documents.
• Knowledge and familiarity in both existing and emerging software applications.
• Excellent interpersonal skills communication skills and the ability to collaborate well in a team.
• Strong ability to maintain high standards use good judgment and seek out ways to contribute and anticipate needs.
• Strong attention to detail organizational skills and ability to manage time effectively. Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.

CERTIFICATES - LEGAL SUPPORT 2

Paralegal Certificate preferred.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS - LEGAL SUPPORT 2

• Proficient in using Best Authority and Everlaw
• Experience using Westlaw or other tools in researching local court rules.
• Experience using Everlaw Document Management or another document management software to provide litigation support and document review.
• Experience working in a virtual environment.
• Experience working with nonprofit and/or social service agencies.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within disability organizations and/or within disability communities.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within multi-ethnic organizations and/or within multi-ethnic communities.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within low-income communities.
• Experience working with and/or sensitivity to persons with disabilities and/or experience working with and/or sensitivity to persons from multi-ethnic communities.
• Life experience as a person with a disability OR direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.

WORKING CONDITIONS - Applies to Legal Support 1/2

The following describes general working conditions and requirements of the job which can be performed with or without disability related reasonable accommodations. Duties will be performed in an office environment and remotely/virtually. Duties require regular communications over online platforms.