Litigation Legal Assistant

About the position

We are currently recruiting a Litigation Legal Assistant to join our Construction practice. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who enjoys variety at a fast-paced desk that offers a broad range of responsibilities and challenges. The successful candidate must be able to confidently utilize litigation knowledge, technical proficiency, and superior practice management capabilities to deliver high-quality legal support to three lawyers. The role requires initiative, strong communication (verbal and written) and organizational skills, and a desire to work in a team environment to promote a client-focused culture. This is a full-time, permanent opportunity with core work hours of Monday to Friday – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We are currently operating a hybrid work model and the successful candidate will be required to work in the office up to 3 days per week.

Responsibilities

  • Drafting and/or preparing various legal documents (pleadings, notices of motion, notices of application, affidavit, facta, etc.), presentations and correspondence, and ensuring that they are in proper format and accurate.
  • Assisting lawyer(s) with trial and hearing preparation, including supporting with the compilation of records and briefs as and when required.
  • Arranging for service and filing of legal documents and related instructions to process servers/agents and filing with the appropriate courts/tribunals.
  • Managing and tracking deadlines, conditional dates, and appointments, including managing the lawyers’ calendars and scheduling appointments and court dates as needed.
  • Opening and closing files electronically, which also includes maintaining detailed matter/client lists and maintaining the electronic filing system (iManage) for each client matter.
  • Running monthly accounts; reviewing entries for accuracy and completeness.
  • Entering dockets into accounting software (3E) as and when required.
  • Managing internal and external communications, which includes incoming calls, mail, faxes and e-mail, responding when needed and as appropriate.
  • Dealing with and responding to client inquiries and conducting follow-up as required.
  • Entering and updating client contact lists in the CRM (InterAction) and working closely with the Marketing and BD department as and when required.
  • General other administrative duties such as scheduling appointments and meetings, booking meeting rooms, making travel arrangements, etc.; working with other internal Departments to provide documents/other materials on time to meet client needs.
  • Continually assessing and establishing work priorities as needed.
  • Demonstrating a team approach; supporting and standing in for colleagues to cover absences.
  • Other administrative duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • At least six (6) years of relevant litigation work experience is required.
  • Post-secondary education with a Legal Assistant Diploma and/or Law Clerk certificate.
  • Thorough understanding and knowledge of legal terminology, procedures and statutes.
  • Strong working knowledge of the Rules of Civil Procedure, Construction Lein Act and the steps and stages that arise in litigation.
  • Proficient with legal software and MS Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams).
  • Proficient with PDF software (Kofax Power PDF/ Adobe), ACL (Automated Civil Litigation), including the preparation of Ontario court forms and litigation documents.
  • Excellent time management, organizational and prioritization skills.
  • Ability to work independently and within tight timelines.
  • Eagerness to learn new technology/processes and further develop skills.
  • Excellent attention to detail and diligent proofreading skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and an excellent team player.
  • Passionate about providing quality service and work product to lawyers, clients and the court.
  • Good judgement and ability to exercise discretion when dealing with confidential and sensitive matters.

Nice-to-haves

  • Prior experience in Construction Law would be advantageous.
  • Familiarity with the scheduling and filing processes with the Toronto and Ontario courts and CaseLines, would be an asset.
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