Lion Legal – Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Compensation & Basics:
- Full-time, 36 hours each week.
- General hours: 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Thursday, 8:00 to 12:00 on Friday.
- Salaried pay bi-monthly
- The office is closed most federal holidays (approximately 11 days) and for inclement weather (paid)
All positions are eligible to receive an end-of-year bonus
- Bonus is merit-based, on specific, written, clear metrics and bi-annual reviews.
- Maximum Bonus is 10% of the position’s annual salary.
PTO
- Accrues 4 PTO hours per pay period (1st year) and 6 hours per pay period (after 1st year)
Optional health insurance for employees and dependents, firm pays 50%
- Optional voluntary dental/vision insurance, employee paid
Retirement Plan
- Employee eligible to participate in retirement plan immediately
- Employer matches up to 3% of retirement contribution after two years employment
Community Involvement
- LL hosts four free legal clinics each year and attending three of them is mandatory for all staff.
- While not required, all support staff (Front Office positions and Paralegals) must complete an annual minimum of “community event” hours apart from the legal clinics to be eligible for the end of year bonus.
- The minimum number of hours is determined on an annual basis and will be prorated with your hire date.
- Most events are on weekends.
Paid maternity/paternity leave (6 weeks) after 1 year employment
Mileage reimbursement for all work-related travel at federal rate
Applicant Requirements:
First and foremost, Lion Legal’s priority is ensuring team members are a good fit personally and culturally. Specific skills necessary are a strong command of technology, Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Clio, Dropbox, etc. Legal experience is not required or expected. This is a paralegal position, so administrative or legal experience in an office setting is preferred.
Lion Legal’s Back Office consists of paralegals and attorneys working as a team to manage all case specific responsibilities, including direct communication with clients and court officials, document management, data entry, and drafting.
Role & Responsibility Summary
Case Management
- Maintain accurate electronic and physical client files.
- Monitor case deadlines and notify attorneys of upcoming dates.
- Maintain organized case records throughout the life of each matter.
- Assist in preparing cases for hearings, depositions, mediations, and trials.
- Ensure all case information is updated within the firm's case management system.
Legal Document Preparation
- Draft correspondence, legal pleadings, discovery requests and responses, motions, notices, affidavits, and other legal documents under attorney supervision.
- Proofread documents for grammar, formatting, and accuracy.
- Prepare exhibits, binders, and supporting documentation.
- Obtain attorney approval before filing or distributing legal documents.
- Prepare document packages for filing and service.
Court Filing and Deadlines
- File documents with state and federal courts through electronic filing systems.
- Ensure filings comply with court rules and deadlines.
- Coordinate service of process when necessary.
- Track court deadlines and update attorney calendars.
- Confirm receipt and acceptance of filed documents.
Client Communication
- Serve as a professional point of contact for clients.
- Respond to client communications promptly and courteously, following office policy.
- Gather requested information and documentation from clients.
- Provide case status updates when authorized by the supervising attorney.
- Schedule client meetings and maintain communication logs.
- Escalate legal questions or client concerns to the supervising attorney when appropriate.
Legal Research
- Conduct legal research using approved research platforms and public records.
- Summarize statutes, regulations, case law, and legal authorities.
- Assist attorneys with factual investigations.
- Organize research results into concise summaries.
- Maintain research files for future reference.
Administrative Support
- Manage attorney calendars, appointments, hearings, and deadlines.
- Schedule meetings, depositions, mediations, and consultations.
- Scan, copy, upload, and organize documents.
- Maintain accurate billing entries and time records as required.
- Assist with office projects and departmental needs.
Department Procedures
- Follow all firm policies and procedures.
- Maintain confidentiality of all client information.
- Record billable and non-billable time accurately.
- Meet established productivity and performance expectations.
- Complete assigned tasks within required deadlines.
- Communicate workload concerns proactively with supervising Manager.
- Participate in department meetings and training sessions.
Professional Development
- Participate in onboarding and firm training programs.
- Develop knowledge of applicable laws, court procedures, and firm processes.
- Seek feedback from supervising attorneys and senior staff.
- Improve drafting, research, and organizational skills through ongoing learning.
- Demonstrate initiative in accepting new responsibilities.
- Maintain professionalism in all interactions with clients, coworkers, and court personnel.
Team Collaboration
- Work collaboratively with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, and administrative staff.
- Assist team members during high-volume workloads.
- Communicate effectively regarding case progress and deadlines.
- Support a positive and professional work environment.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of department processes.
Performance Expectations
- Produce accurate, organized, and timely work product.
- Maintain a high level of attention to detail.
- Meet productivity, billing, and quality expectations established by the firm.
- Demonstrate reliability, accountability, and professionalism.
- Protect client confidentiality and comply with ethical standards.
- Continuously develop legal knowledge and technical skills.
About the Firm
Transparency is a hallmark of our law practice, and above all else, we value finding a great fit, both in personality and worth ethic, for all new additions to Lion Legal.
Our mission, vision, purpose, and firm values are not simply words on our website. We truly embody them in our practice every day. We work as a team, relying on each other to provide the best services to our clients and allowing each of us to find the work-life balance we desire.
Lion Legal has been in business for over thirteen years and intentionally grows each year. This success is contributed in large part to our strong team unity. We are very collaborative in how we can improve efficiency and effectiveness. We strongly exemplify the “work smarter not harder” mentality.
We practice in: Family Law, Criminal Defense, Probate and Estate Planning, Real Estate and Small Business Transactions/Litigation, Bankruptcy, and Social Security Disability. We are actively looking to expand the services we offer, in both our current practices and new practice areas, including immigration, personal injury, and labor/employment.
We are stereotypical Type A personalities – extremely process oriented, organized, and detailed. We rely heavily on digital calendars, various technology programs, and case management software to never miss deadlines and to always be prepared. We are a paperless office. Achieving the best result possible under the law and facts of each client’s case is not enough, clients must feel supported in the process, too. We support them by ensuring we respond to all calls/emails within two business days. Clients always know what we are doing, what they should be doing, and when they will hear from us again. Adherence by all of us to our Communication Philosophy is invaluable to the client experience at Lion Legal.
Hiring Process, Compensation, and Benefits
To maximize success with our firm, all new hires complete a six-month on-the-job training program, with the goals of teaching our particular processes, our general firm philosophies and values, and, for additions new to the legal field, training in general legal principles in our areas of practice. This time to become comfortable in our processes and personalities, is intentionally designed to allow us to customize responsibilities and duties to the strengths of our employees. We find that everyone thrives when our responsibilities match our best strengths. We provide written performance metrics – success is not a moving target for new or seasoned employees - and we conduct bi-annual reviews for all attorneys and staff.
Compensation is W-4, bi-monthly on the 15th and 30th of each month. Annual bonuses are up to 10%
of employee’s annual salary, based on clearly defined and provided merit-based metrics. Starting salary is negotiable commensurate with experience and skills. After the first full year of employment, raises for all employees are considered yearly on a calendar basis, dependent on our employer-published raise metrics for all positions in the firm. All salary changes and bonuses are effective as of January 1 for consistency and stability.
In addition to competitive salaries, and merit-based annual raises and bonuses, Lion Legal offers many other benefits, including optional health, dental, & vision insurance for employees and their dependents (spouse and children). After a full year’s employment, all employees are eligible for six weeks of paid parental leave, and after two years’ employment Lion Legal matches up to 3% of the employee’s contributions to our firm retirement plan.
Lion Legal genuinely values a true work-life balance. To that end, we are closed on federal holidays, and employ a 36-hour work week, closing at noon on Fridays. All staff also earn four (4) hours of Paid Time Off every pay-period the first year of employment, and six (6) hours PTO each pay-period after a full year of employment. Employees also have many opportunities throughout the year to earn additional PTO by representing Lion Legal at various community events.
We are not micromanagers and expect all employees to be self-directed. All staff are required to take at least one week’s paid vacation annually. This is a long-term career position and burnout is real. We prioritize our mental health, so we can provide our best services to our clients and be the best professionals we can be, for the long term. To this end, Lion Legal prioritizes supporting everyone’s career development and growth by offering a clear path for growth in title, responsibilities, and compensation for each of our positions, as well as paying for classes, training, and certifications for both attorneys and non-attorneys.
Lion Legal has a robust and adept “Front Office,” which handles all administrative duties such as client on-boarding, marketing, advertising, human resources, and accounts payable/receivable. The strong contributions of our Front Office allow our attorneys and paralegals (the “Back Office”) to focus on practicing law, not generating new business or collecting invoices.
Lion Legal prioritizes community commitment and involvement. We participate in a variety of community festivals and events in Central Arkansas, as well as hosting four free legal clinics annually at the NLR Laman Library. All attorneys and staff are expected to participate in a mix of legal clinics and other community events annually, most of which are after normal business hours and/or weekends. We also strongly encourage, support, and reward networking of all types.
For more information, visit https://lionlegal.com/all-positions/
Contact: Skyler Tallent, Managing Paralegal
[email protected]
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $41,600.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
