Paralegal - Workers' Compensation

I. OVERVIEW OF POSITION. The Workers' Compensation Paralegal ("WC Paralegal"), a member of the Workers' Compensation team, is a key position responsible for providing administrative and legal support to the Firm's Workers' Compensation attorneys. The WC Paralegal will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to, organizing and analyzing documents and casework, drafting pleadings and other court documents, filing court documents, scheduling events, actively contributing in all phases of the discovery process, and preparing exhibits and documents for court hearings, depositions, and trials. The WC Paralegal must be extremely organized and detail-oriented, and able to multi-task in order to effectively work in the Firm's high-speed, deadline-driven environment.

II. REPORTING STRUCTURE. The WC Paralegal works closely with the Workers' Compensation team and supervising attorneys. However, an individual in this position will report directly to the Operations Manager of the Firm.

III. HOURS AND STATUS. The WC Paralegal position is a full-time position generally working approximately forty (40) hours per week. However, some additional hours may be needed to meet Firm's operational needs.

IV. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS. The WC Paralegal is responsible for the following essential duties:

• Maintain client files with continual updating and filing copies of documents (electronic/paper files) created within the office or received from outside parties, including but not limited to, employment records, claim file records, medical bills, and a large number of medical records that will also need to be sorted, reviewed, maintained, and updated on a continual basis.
• Properly request documents to further support our clients' claims and ongoing follow-up to keep clients' files as up-to-date as possible.
• Preparation of discovery requests and responses, and other pleadings, as well as filing/eFiling such pleadings with the courts and/or serving the same on the appropriate case-related parties.
• Schedule events, including but not limited to, hearings, depositions, medical evaluations, medicolegal attorney conferences, client meetings, court reporters, and interpreters.
• Preparation of exhibits, exhibit, and witness lists for trials/hearings, pre-trial conference memos, mediation materials, and settlement documents.
• Provide substantive administrative support to attorneys to enhance office efficiency and effectiveness.
• Assist with maintaining an accurate calendar for the assigned attorneys by docketing deadlines in ProLaw and calendaring the same with additional details in Outlook.
• Accurately track billable and non-billable hours and log accurate billing descriptions on a daily basis so that our in-house Business Office can create monthly client invoices.
• Communicate clearly and effectively and work professionally with all attorneys and Legal Assistants assigned to the team. 2
• Consistently produce high-level work that is accurate and meets or exceeds Firm standards.
• Regular and reliable attendance.

While the Firm provides this job description in an effort to define the essential functions and responsibilities of the WC Paralegal, this description is a summary representative of the duties and responsibilities required of this position and may not include non-essential duties. Duties or responsibilities may be added or modified at the discretion of the Office Manager in accordance with the business needs of the Firm. An individual in this position may be asked to perform duties assigned to others if coverage is necessary.

V. CORE COMPENTENCIES.

• Extremely detail-oriented and demonstrated ability to multi-task.
• Strong organizational, communication, delegation, and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize while meeting all deadlines and demonstrating a high level of reliability and efficiency.
• Ability to work in a very fast-paced environment and adapt to changes.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and ProLaw.
• Must work well in a team-oriented environment.
• Desire to always be learning and improving.
• Timely and efficient work product while setting tasks/goals and following through to achieve the highest level of completion.
• The ability to use foresight to effectively plan ahead in an effort to anticipate the needs of supervising attorneys and the team.

VI. PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS OF POSITION.

• Physical Demands.
  • Ability to regularly utilize a computer keyboard, monitor, and other electronic equipment to prepare reports, communicate, and perform other duties.
  • Ability to endure a sedentary type of work requiring a great deal of sitting at a computer.
  • Ability to work at least forty (40) hours a week.
  • Ability to read and interpret legal documents.
  • Ability to maintain regular and reliable attendance, meet deadlines, and perform work duties in a timely manner.
• Mental Demands.
  • Ability to work effectively and efficiently and remain poised in high-stress and conflict situations.
  • Ability to simultaneously address multiple complex problems.
  • Ability to multitask without loss of efficiency or accuracy.
  • Ability to sustain attention with or without distractions.
  • Ability to interact and communicate professionally and appropriately with a variety of individuals.
  • Ability to meet time-sensitive deadlines.
  • Ability to maintain regular and reliable attendance, meet deadlines, and perform work duties in a timely manner.

VII. QUALIFICATIONS FOR POSITION.

• Qualifying Education.
  • Preferred: Four-year college degree from an accredited college or university in legal studies or other related field.
• Qualifying Experience.
  • Preferred: Prior experience working in a law or other professional firm.
  Preferred: Familiarity with legal procedures and protocols and the court system.
  

While the Firm seeks these qualifications for this position, the Firm reserves the right to consider experience in lieu of education and to determine the best combination of education and experience appropriate for the position.