Legal Administrative Assistant

Overview

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let’s see what we can achieve. Together.

Summary

The Legal Administrative Assistant (LAA) provides a wide range of administrative and clerical support to attorneys and legal teams. This role is essential in ensuring the smooth operation of the firm’s administrative functions and requires a high level of organization, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. This position will collaborate regularly with Legal Support Assistants (LSAs), Legal Executive Assistants (LEAs), and attorneys on various tasks and assignments, ensuring work is properly allocated and completed on time.

The LAA role requires a high level of flexibility and willingness to work in a fast-paced environment where multiple projects may have to be prioritized for the firm’s attorneys. Projects will often require high-level technical skills with Microsoft Office programs or various types of legal software commonly seen in law firms.

This position is located in our Washington DC office and offers a hybrid work schedule.

• Provides practice-specific support to multiple associates, partners, and other attorneys, leveraging knowledge about unique practice tasks, requirements, and functions and can prioritize work accordingly.
• Drafts, edits, and proofreads legal documents, communications, files, or presentations to ensure accuracy.
• Oversees the maintenance and organization of electronic and paper filing systems within the firm’s DMS/repositories. Ensures all work product is easily accessible and up to date.
• Collaborates with other LAAs or LEAs to complete more complex projects or provide administrative support for any assigned attorneys. Provides mentorship, guidance, and delegation to LSAs who assist with projects as appropriate. Provides key status updates on projects to any assigned attorneys, offering or delegating direct-action support in the event of escalation.
• Organizes and monitors assignments within the firm’s workflow tool, ensuring that administrative tasks are properly allocated and completed on time. These projects can include but are not limited to time entry and expense reimbursements.
• Oversees billing matters including all approval forms and collaboration correspondence, ensures prebills are processed by the appropriate team accurately and timely; serves as a liaison between attorneys and the Billing Department regarding issues arising throughout the billing process. Ensures final bills are delivered in a timely manner and initiates follow-up at the attorney’s request.
• Serves as a trusted advisor for associates, partners, or other attorneys. LAAs will be expected to handle confidential or sensitive matters using discretion and to promote professionalism and exceptional service in all interactions with attorneys, clients, and other DLA Piper business professionals.

The below job competencies and skills are required for the Legal Administrative Assistant position in order to perform the job successfully.

The ability to communicate effectively in the native language of the region via e-mail or via voice is essential. Takes initiative to enhance existing and learn additional skills. Prior experience working with Microsoft Office products or legal software such as iManage, Aderant, DocXTools, Innova, etc. Must have the ability to adapt to application upgrades and the use of AI-Powered Tools for document production, review, and case research.

Must have ability to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to learn new skills and adapt to evolving needs of the attorney’s practice. Must have the ability to be flexible within a fast-paced environment and ensure that all deliverables and work product adhere to firm best practices, and a willingness to receive constructive feedback from attorneys and managers. Open to collaborating with and supporting Legal Support Assistants (LSAs) as appropriate.

Works…