NTD Paralegal Specialist

Nationwide - Philadelphia, PA

Full-time - Mid Level

Remote - Philadelphia, PA

51-100 employees

Insurance Carriers and Related Activities

About the position

The Paralegal Specialist position at Nationwide's Legal team involves providing comprehensive pre-trial and trial support for complex civil litigation cases, primarily in insurance defense. This role is crucial in ensuring that legal teams can effectively represent clients in both commercial and personal lines insurance policies. The position requires a strong background in insurance defense, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work autonomously in a hybrid work environment.

Responsibilities

• Provides the highest level of pre-trial and trial support for complex litigated matters.
• Assists in the preparation, review, filing, and service of complex motions, pleadings, discovery and subpoenas, including dispositive motions.
• Reviews and prepares documents for document production requests.
• Analyzes and responds to incoming discovery.
• Reviews and analyzes medical records.
• Independently conducts legal research and writing assignments, which may include the preparation of extensive medical chronologies, deposition outlines, and deposition summaries of fact and expert witnesses.
• Takes initiative to move case files to trial/resolution.
• Works autonomously, with little to no supervision.
• Coordinates and schedules depositions, hearings, and meetings, communicates with clients and expert witnesses.
• Provides administrative support to trial team(s) including the retrieval of information from our document management system, and the assembly of exhibits, binders, and appendices for depositions, court filings, hearings, and trial.
• Maintains working knowledge of court procedures and local rules.
• Reviews court dockets and retrieves case information.
• Prepares case file and discovery impact reports.
• Understands and maintains confidentiality in respect to the attorney-client privilege/relationship, trial strategies, Ethics rules, the identities of the plaintiff, defense clients and claims' customers.
• Has superior knowledge of each file assigned to trial team(s) and is capable of independently understanding the relevancy of case information as it pertains to assisting in the preparation for depositions, hearings, pre-trial conferences and trial.
• Brings a well-developed sense of organization to coordinate workflow, support the overall litigation strategy.
• Mentors and trains less experienced Paralegals and Legal Assistant on organizational policies and processes and assists Managing Attorney with onboarding new members of the trial team(s).
• Assists Managing Attorney with the coordination of workflow of support staff.
• Works on special projects as needed.
• Assists Managing Attorney with the implementation of new processes and new technology and acts as a champion of efficiency, modernization, and change.

Requirements

• Undergraduate studies in business administration, insurance or other related areas preferred.
• Certification in paralegal studies strongly preferred or developed paralegal experience.
• Typically, eight years' experience in a paralegal capacity with proven performance.
• General knowledge of law office operations, practices and procedures.
• Experience in filing and scheduling procedures of the various courts, as well as how to use federal and state e-filing and e-Court systems, Microsoft Office Suite, case management databases, such as Legal Files is preferred.
• Understanding of insurance practice civil defense in state courts and agencies and understanding of both personal and commercial lines policies is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interaction with attorneys, paralegals, court personnel, clients and claims' staff.
• Strong organizational skills, detail oriented, focused, technologically savvy, adaptable to learning new systems and processes, and can prioritize and multitask.
• Exercise independent initiative and judgment in daily tasks.
• Ability to design and maintain filing and tickler follow-up systems.
• Ability to acquire skills and/or knowledge necessary to research information and determine the applicability of legal action.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with subrogation, worker's comp, PIP and Department of Insurance cases a plus.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Short and long term disability coverage
• Paid time off (minimum of 18 days per year)
• Nine paid holidays
• 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
• 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
• 401(k) with company match
• Company-paid pension plan
• Business casual attire
• Flexible work environment with some work from home options