Paralegal

Hall Booth Smith, P.C. - Asheville, NC

Full-time

Asheville, NC

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The position is responsible for supporting attorneys in various aspects of litigation, particularly in case preparation, management, and execution. The ideal candidate will have experience in Long Term Care defense and/or Medical Malpractice defense. The role requires obtaining, reviewing, analyzing, and summarizing legal documentation related to cases, as well as scheduling depositions and meetings with clients, witnesses, experts, opposing counsel, and court reporters. The candidate will also be responsible for identifying, locating, interviewing, and evaluating potential experts, and sending expert packages for review. In addition to these tasks, the position involves tracking requests for documents and following up on their progress, regularly reviewing files, and proactively working to advance cases. The candidate will document files and update clients on the status of their cases, participate in discovery and trial preparation, and may prepare draft discovery documents. Maintaining an expert database and researching opposing counsel's experts are also key responsibilities. The role includes making travel arrangements and providing necessary information to attorneys, performing legal research, filing documents with courts, and handling clerical duties such as typing and filing to ensure proper organization of case files. The candidate must enter billable time into the computer daily, meeting a minimum billing requirement of 140 hours per month (1680 per year), which is not reduced by any time off or non-billable functions. Non-billable functions may include participating in strategic committees, assisting in seminar development, and mentoring new employees. The position requires flexibility and openness to support requests outside the job description as directed by the management team.

Responsibilities

• Obtain, review, analyze, and summarize legal documentation pertaining to cases.
• Schedule depositions and other meetings with clients, witnesses, experts, opposing counsel, and court reporters.
• Identify, locate, interview, and evaluate potential experts and send expert packages to parties for review.
• Track requests for documents and follow up on their progress regularly.
• Review files and proactively work to move cases forward.
• Document files and update clients regarding the status of their cases.
• Participate in all aspects of discovery and trial preparation as required by the supervisor.
• Prepare draft discovery documents as needed.
• Maintain an expert database and research opposing counsel's experts.
• Make travel arrangements and provide necessary information to attorneys.
• Perform research on legal issues and precedents related to cases.
• File documents with various courts.
• Perform clerical duties such as typing and filing to ensure proper organization of case files.
• Enter billable time into the computer daily and meet the minimum billing requirement of 140 hours per month.
• Perform non-billable functions including participating in strategic committees and mentoring new employees.
• Ensure all functions are performed in accordance with applicable client guidelines.

Requirements

• Knowledge of legal principles and practices, typically acquired through an associate's degree or certified paralegal education.
• Knowledge of various courts, their rules, and filing requirements.
• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate with a diverse group of attorneys, staff, and clients.
• Demonstrated organizational, prioritization, and attention to detail skills.
• Ability to demonstrate impeccable integrity in confidential matters.
• Accurate typing ability of 45 wpm and comprehensive computer and office equipment experience.
• Ability to work more than 40 hours per week to perform essential duties and meet financial goals.
• Physical ability to sit, bend, stoop, keyboard, and use hands continuously, with potential lifting of 25-50 lbs.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in Long Term Care defense or Medical Malpractice defense.