About us
Lopez Law Group is a law firm in the 3-5 attorney range with future growth and expansion planned. Our principal office is located in Saint Petersburg, FL. We do not offer remote work for new employees.
Working environment looks like:
Modern office setting
Walkable Old Northeast neighborhood location
Growth opportunities
Lively, diverse atmosphere
Belief in and commitment to mutual success
Affinity for snacks
Commitment to positive client experience
Job Overview
We are seeking a skilled Paralegal with past experience in substantive legal positions to join our legal team. The ideal candidate will be motivated by curiosity, illustrate a genuine commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth in their daily work, and bring to the table an existing substantive competency in at least two of the following areas of Florida law:
Negligent Torts
Intentional Torts
Community Associations
Contracts
Real Estate Titles Issues
Landlord/Tenant
Construction Defects
Municipal Government
Criminal Misdemeanor
Criminal Felony
Technological Tools
Familiarity with the following systems/hardware/software OR demonstrated ability and will to learn them quickly is required:
Desktop systems built around Apple hardware running MacOS
PracticePanther practice management system
Box Drive cloud storage system
Microsoft Office suite (Word, Outlook, Teams, etc.) (Microsoft 365)
Responsibilities
Case Management
Assist Assigned Attorneys with case planning, development, and management
Keep a current list of active cases and their statuses, with comprehensive and continuing activity logs and notes
Organize and manage case files both electronically and physically; Operate Case Management Software and be familiar with logging billable hours
Maintain all deadlines and case calendars (deadlines and dates are a priority--must be able to reference and consolidate information from multiple calendars for multiple stakeholders on the fly)
Oversee the coordination of hearings, depositions, meetings, service of process, and witnesses
Have an adequate understanding of the Trial process and be able to handle cases from inception through Final Judgement
Calendar all scheduled events and make sure no hearings are missed
Familiarity with Florida e-Filing Portal, and other judicial Case Management/Electronic Case Filing systems, such as JAWS, JACS, CMS, PACER, MyCourt, etc.
Client Coordination
Routine case status updates (weekly-to-biweekly) to clients using diverse methods of communication depending on client preferences
Client correspondence: filtering out legally significant details, clear and complete note-taking and note-keeping in PracticePanther for client communications, compassionate navigation of sensitive topics, regulating client expectations and gatekeeping attorney time, strong communication skills, managing the participation of uncooperative clients
Diligent but courteous pursuit of necessary discovery materials, documentary support, and other evidentiary materials from client
Document Preparation
Professional-level familiarity with Microsoft Word
Draft initial pleadings, motions, discovery responses, propounded discovery, subpoenas, and any other requested document drafting
Organize, index, and summarize large volumes of discovery materials, documentary support, and other evidentiary materials
Prepare exhibits, affidavits, and other supporting documentation
Legal Research
Understand how to effectively operate Lexis Nexis and conduct proper legal research
Familiarity with freesearch systems like Google Scholar, Online Sunshine, OCRS, Municode, etc.
Familiarity with proper citation formats for legal authority, Bluebook or ALWD preferred
Qualifications
The right candidate for this role will bring at least an intermediate level of appropriate experience. Candidates will be expected to come with 5+ years of experience, comprising any of the following:
5+ years of experience working in a substantive legal role
A.A. or A.S. with a major in paralegal studies, legal studies, criminal justice, or equivalent field and 3+ years of experience working in a substantive legal role
B.A. or B.S. with a major in paralegal studies, legal studies, criminal justice, or equivalent field and 1+ years of experience in a substantive legal role
J.D. (ABA accredited) with at least one recent clerkship/internship, no past bar sanctions in any state, familiarity with small practice operations
Applications from candidates with different experience backgrounds will be considered with 1-page cover letter persuasively articulating how your experience provides knowledge and ability sufficiently comparable with the above backgrounds to contribute value in a growing law firm of 3-5 attorneys.
Resumes should highlight relevant experience, and should exceed 1 page in only exceptional cases. Do not waste space with "personality" information--your personality will speak for itself. Applicants whose resumes exceed 1 page will be considered with 1-page cover letter persuasively introducing us to the exceptional experience that you are offering to bring to our firm.
All applicants are encouraged to apply with a cover letter.
Applications with resumes or cover letters bearing excessive typos, inconsistent, unprofessional, or illogical formatting, unnecessary cosmetic flourishes, or default Microsoft Word bullet points will be discarded without further review. Applicants who cannot or do not showcase their document preparation skills when advertising their own value will not be right for this position.
We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and all underrepresented groups, and applicants will be expected to comfortably and professionally navigate a workplace with colleagues and clients from many backgrounds.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $55,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Free parking
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Microsoft Office: 1 year (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 (Required)
Work Location: In person
