Summary
This position provides paralegal and administrative management for the four legal clinics and their faculty directors and students. The clinics function as four separate "law firms" representing clients from the local community and across the U.S. in cases before Virginia and Federal courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Copyright Office, and the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The administrative specialist plays a dual role. They function as a paralegal assistant, providing crucial support to the 38 - 40 lawyers (both students and faculty) working in these busy law practices. Their second role is as an academic, operational manager, aiding the four professors in managing their full class loads and office operations. The position requires strong time and priority management with the ability to communicate to determine and anticipate the needs of the directors, students, and clients. It also requires the ability to understand multiple legal practice areas, and the regulations and procedures governing all of them.
Responsibilities
Paralegal Assistance
- Implement established policies and procedures to coordinate a highly functional law office space to ensure organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and safety.
- Field, screen, and respond to prospective client inquiries for legal representation, as well as manage client communications via email and phone.
- Perform conflict of interest checks on potential clients, create electronic and/or paper files, and organize extensive documents.
- Manage clinic intake process and submit online intake forms to clinic students and clinic directors for potential eligible clients.
- Ensure that intake objectives are met and procedures run smoothly when faculty are in court or handling faculty responsibilities.
- Oversee the client experience with the students and ensure professional and respectful communication with anyone coming into the office.
- Set up and maintain client files in CLIO and Box, as well as manage access to confidential information.
- Formally close files when a case terminates, working with student attorneys to prepare closing letters and tabulate hours spent on the client's case, and coordinate shredding of confidential documents.
- Maintain the dockets for all clients for the firms, ensure all deadlines and court dates are met, and work with students to maintain and update the files for each client.
- Respond to inquiries from students, clients, and the general public.
- Assist the Directors and students in preparing client and research documents, filing court and regulatory agency documents, and notarizing documents.
- Coordinate with Directors and students to research case law, statutes, and regulations; draft legal documents, such as letters, motions, subpoenas, summonses, affidavits, briefs, and other pleadings, using judgment and attention to detail for content, accuracy, and completeness.
- Collaborate with Directors and students to prepare court documents for filing, including copy editing, cite checking, preparing tables of contents/authorities, and assembling exhibits.
- Train students in the functioning of the case management system, answer student questions throughout the semester, and train students on how to work with paralegals.
- Keep in close communication with attorneys and students to ensure that deadlines are calendared and met and files are appropriately maintained.
- Coordinate client meetings with both Directors and students, including with incarcerated clients. Maintain contact information and protocols for meetings at both state and federal correctional facilities.
- Keep clients informed by maintaining contact, scheduling meetings, and communicating case progress.
- Communicate with courts, judges, and local agencies to confirm and coordinate client meetings and court hearings.
- Maintain up-to-date comprehensive lists of active files for supervising attorneys.
- Assist Directors and students with the discovery process.
- Assist Directors and students with trial preparation by organizing exhibits, scheduling witnesses, and preparing trial binders.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of all matters within the office.
- Assist in setting up a new civil litigation clinic.
- Assist Directors with tracking student class and client service hours as required by the American Bar Association.
- Track approximately 15,000 annual pro bono service hours provided to the community by the clinics.
Office Management
- Assist and help to manage the Clinics' annual student application and registration process and information session.
- Assist in planning and coordinating logistics for a large annual conference.
- Assist clinic Directors in preparing and updating class documents and tools, such as syllabi, manuals, and online materials.
- Oversee the management and operation of the Clinic legal office.
- Make travel arrangements for clinic Directors and prepare reimbursements.
- Maintain inventory of supplies and resource materials and replenish as necessary.
- Work on and support various computer programs/platforms for matters across the Clinics, including but not limited to Blackboard, student surveys, student registration, and calendaring. Must also be comfortable integrating platforms and working with university IT and Information Services departments.
- Coordinate interdepartmentally to support the Clinic's needs, such as office maintenance/repairs, computer matters, and supplies/furniture.
- Assist with event and meeting planning, including reserving space, ordering catering, and communicating with guests.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Ability to work collaboratively with clinic directors, thorough problem-solving skills, and the demonstrated ability to work independently and efficiently with multiple deadlines for overlapping projects
- Excellent customer service skills and professional demeanor
- Ability to effectively communicate with different constituencies
- Strong organizational and administrative skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to anticipate needs and work independently
- Ability to exercise discretion in a confidential work environment
- Time management and multi-tasking skills
- Event support and technical assistance
- Scheduling for multiple programs and directors
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, Publisher, Adobe, Clio, Box, and PowerPoint)
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree preferred, or some college with an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
- Certified VA Notary Public, preferred (or ability to obtain certification after hire)
- 2-4 years of administrative support experience preferred
- 3-5 years of experience in legal administration preferred
- Paralegal certification, Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) accreditation, or equivalent experience preferred
WORK HOURS:
- Full-time, non-exempt position
- Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; 7.75 hrs./day; 38.75 hrs./week
SALARY STRUCTURE:
Pay Grade 5 (Hiring Range $19.72 to $26.13 per hour)
About Ur
At the University of Richmond, we're creative, inclusive, and determined. We're Spiders, and our mission is to create positive change in the UR community and beyond. Located minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond (www.richmond.edu) blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. There's only one place like Richmond.
UR is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity. EOE
