Legal Assistant – San Diego, CA

Sanford Heisler Sharp is a boutique class-action litigation law firm with offices in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Tennessee, Georgia, and Maryland. The team is a tightly knit community of lawyers
and legal assistants, all committed to using the law to help craft and enforce a more just society. We specialize in civil rights and general public interest cases, representing plaintiffs with gender discrimination, labor and wage violations, whistleblower, ERISA, financial fraud, consumer fraud, and many other claims.

We have represented thousands of individuals in some of the most significant class-action cases before the courts, securing landmark victories through trial and settlements. In addition, we have a number of cases currently before the district and federal appellate courts that raise novel issues of law.

Our Legal Assistants have gone on to attend law schools such as Harvard, Stanford, and Yale; complete PhD programs in the humanities; join consulting and financial firms; and continue their social justice work in the education and non-profit sectors.

Job Description:

Works closely with attorneys and other Legal Assistants in all aspects of litigation and pre-litigation matters, including conducting factual investigations; drafting and revising key case-related documents, including memoranda, motions, affidavits, briefs, administrative complaints, and correspondence; performing potential client intake interviews; managing case files; and, preparing for and attending depositions, mediations, client interviews, and court proceedings.

Essential Functions:

• Investigate facts of cases and search pertinent sources (including, but not limited to, public records, internet sources, and Westlaw to support legal arguments);
• Provide written factual analysis to attorneys;
• Draft portions of case-related documents and correspondence (including, but not limited to, routine case-related memoranda, motions, affidavits, briefs, agency charges, and demand letters);
• Organize and maintain administrative and case-related documents (including exhibits, evidence, depositions, pleadings, correspondence, and other items);
• Manage case logistics (including making travel arrangements, coordinating with vendors, making payments to vendors, tracking expenses, and managing case calendars);
• Prepare for and attend court hearings, depositions, mediations, arbitrations, investigatory interviews, meetings with law enforcement agencies, and  other case-related proceedings and meetings;
• Review case documents and make determinations of relevance and significance to clients’ claims;
• Interview potential clients, summarize their statements, and provide brief analysis of claims;
• Meet with clients and other professionals to discuss details of case;
• File motions and pleadings with courts in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures;
• Coordinate and carry out office activity under the direction of their office’s Managing Partner(s) and case-related activity according to attorney direction;
• Coordinate with legal service vendors (e.g., mediators, information management services, court reporters, and process servers);
• Maintain records regarding billable hours spent on specific cases;
• Assist in training new Legal Assistants and preparing materials used during
  their training;
• Provide office administrative support, which may include providing administrative support to their office’s Managing Partner(s) and other attorneys at the firm, event planning and implementation, scheduling and calendaring internal and external meetings, ordering office supplies (including snacks and drinks), tracking office-related expenses, keeping the kitchen clean and organized, and coordinating and tracking office-related keys and cards assigned to employees; and,
• Perform other related duties assigned by the Executive Committee or their
  office’s Managing Partner(s).

Qualifications:

To be eligible, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree, be willing to make a two-year commitment, and be available to begin working in summer 2022.

Applicants should have:

• Extremely strong organizational skills, including the ability to balance multiple pressing tasks;
• Excellent writing, proofreading, and editing skills;
• Research and analytical capabilities, including meticulous attention to detail;
• Initiative and energy to see projects to completion;
• An ability to work effectively in a team environment and to take direction
  from a range of individuals;
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills;
• A proactive, inquisitive, and creative approach to problem solving; and,
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Sign, and Westlaw
  (experience in iCONECT/Xera is a plus).

Sanford Heisler Sharp is strongly committed to EEO principles and values a diverse workplace. We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ, all genders, all ages, differently abled, and other minority applicants to apply.

Hours: Legal Assistants work 40+ hours per week (i.e., Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to ~5:30 p.m. ET).

Salary: The first-year salary for this position is $53,000 and the second-year salary is $56,500. Legal Assistants are eligible for overtime.

Application Procedure:

Applications must include a cover letter, a resume, an unofficial college transcript, two writing samples of no more than 5 pages each, and a list of three references. These documents should be sent in Word or PDF to [email protected] with “Prospective Legal Assistant” in the email’s subject line. Please specify in your email the earliest date you are available to start.

COVID-19:

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanford Heisler Sharp has been a firm that has demonstrated flexibility and concern for the well-being of our employees and our communities. We were among the first law firms in the nation to publicly announce that we were moving to a remote work environment and to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for employees. The firm will continue to rely on the science to guide its decisions in 2022 and beyond.

Sanford Heisler Sharp employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including obtaining the COVID-19 boosters within the time frame recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you accept an offer from the firm and choose not to get vaccinated for religious, medical reasons, or other applicable legal requirements, you may seek a reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable Accommodations:

Sanford Heisler Sharp welcomes applications from individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please send your request to us by email at  [email protected] or by mail at address below.

Sanford Heisler Sharp
700 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20003