Legal Assistant (Bridgewater)

Patterson Law is an established Nova Scotia law firm with offices in Truro, Halifax, New Glasgow, and Bridgewater and with clients whose interests range from global to purely local. Our more than 150 lawyers and staff are dedicated to meeting our clients’ diverse legal needs.  We endeavour to maintain the highest standard of service to our clients. This can only be accomplished by employing qualified, educated, and motivated staff.

We have an immediate opening for a Legal Assistant at our Bridgewater office, located at 197 Dufferin Street, Suite 302. 

The Legal Assistant will provide legal & administrative support to the assigned lawyer(s).  

Standard work hours are 35 per week.  Some flexibility and occasional overtime will be required.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

1. Manage, coordinate, and ensure the smooth flow of work in the assigned lawyer(s) practice.
2. General administrative duties including file and records management, dictation, scheduling and arranging appointments, document assembly, copying and binding, and managing incoming and outgoing mail, e-mail, and telephone calls.
3. Ensuring client inquiries are dealt with promptly and efficiently
4. Maintaining accurate and current status records for client matters
5. Prepare and review correspondence and legal documents at lawyer’s request and direction including memos, letters, forms, etc.
6. Deal efficiently with matters on an emergency basis, including last-minute preparation of documents, prioritizing matters on a regular basis throughout the day and rescheduling lawyer’s day on short notice when required by contacting clients, other lawyers, etc.
7. Entry of disbursements and lawyer’s time into the Accounting system to ensure accuracy of client billing
8. Coordinating monthly billing process, sending out invoices and reminder notices to clients, following up on overdue accounts
9. Keeping lawyers and impacted colleagues informed of any problems or delays in the completion of assigned tasks on the file
10. Overflow support for administrative staff during periods of absence or heavy workload, including relief coverage at reception
11. Policies/Procedures – Ensuring adherence at all times to firm policies and procedures that have been established
12. Back-up Support & Coverage – Where the work for the assigned lawyer(s) is completed and in the situation where colleagues are on vacation or otherwise away from the office, assisting with fellow staff members’ responsibilities to ensure the office operates at optimum efficiency and service standards
13. Other – Additional duties as assigned based on the firm’s requirements

Qualifications:

• Prior experience in an office environment would be an asset
• Highly detailed-oriented and impeccably organized
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and with a sense of urgency to ensure deadlines are met
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with excellent spelling and grammar
• Basic Accounting skills
• Organized, highly detail-oriented, and able to effectively prioritize and manage multiple requests concurrently
• Genuine team player, who thrives on contributing to the team’s success
• Ability to effectively prioritize, track, and follow-up on outstanding items with all parties involved including the lawyers, colleagues, and clients
• Accurately follows instructions and asks questions to clarify requirements & ensure work is done properly
• Strong judgment, and in time, develop comfort to act independently and anticipate lawyers’ needs
• Strong keyboarding and transcription skills
• Technologically proficient with a strong ability to learn, embrace, and effectively use new technology
• Demonstrate discretion and sound judgement in handling of confidential information this includes a high degree of integrity and trust
• We are seeking to fill this position as soon as possible.  If you are interested and meet the requirements of this position, please apply with resume and cover letter to careers@pattersonlaw.ca.

We are pleased to offer our staff a competitive salary, group insurance coverage from day one, and pension plan membership after a year.

Patterson Law hires on the basis of merit.  We are committed to employment equity and welcome diversity.  Applications are encouraged from all interested and qualified individuals.

Internal and external candidates may be considered simultaneously for this posting.