The work of the legal secretaries at Sidley Austin LLP (the "Firm") is critical to the overall operation of the Firm and the ability of each and every lawyer to serve the Firm's clients effectively. At the Firm, legal secretaries are considered professionals and important members of the team. An effective team is based on mutual respect, cooperation and commitment to a common goal. When a secretary is hired by the Firm, she or he is hired by the Firm and not by a particular lawyer. Thus, secreta... more details
Legal Secretary
Recruiting LocationUS-NY-New York | US-IL-Chicago
Department
Secretarial Services
Summary
The work of the legal secretaries at Sidley Austin LLP (the "Firm") is critical to the overall operation of the Firm and the ability of each and every lawyer to serve the Firm's clients effectively. At the Firm, legal secretaries are considered professionals and important members of the team. An effective team is based on mutual respect, cooperation and commitment to a common goal.
When a secretary is hired by the Firm, she or he is hired by the Firm and not by a particular lawyer. Thus, secretaries are expected to play an active role in assisting their assigned lawyers - and, when necessary, assisting other lawyers and other secretaries - toward the common goal of providing the Firm's clients with the best service possible.
To be an effective member of the team, secretaries should familiarize themselves with Firm procedures, from the way files are organized in the Records Department to the billing procedures of the Accounting Department. To be an integral part of a practice group, secretaries should also work with their assigned lawyers in establishing and maintaining the particular procedures of the practice group and the lawyer's individual requirements and procedures.
Duties and Responsibilities
Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly, Outlook, Word, Excel)
Knowledge of Document Management Systems (i.e., DeskSite)
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Good judgment and strong interpersonal communication skills
Strong analytical and problem solving skills
Strong time management skills
Requires strong computer and Internet research skills
Ability to multi-task and prioritize work proficiently and effectively completes same in a timely manner
Ability to work independently and anticipate needs of assignments
Maintains composure while meeting multiple deadlines (even with frequent interruptions)
Assist and support lawyers in dedicated assignments as well as associates assigned to Practice Support Team(s)
Conserves assignments’ time by reading, researching & routing email correspondence
On behalf of assignments, liaise with various support departments of the Firm
Maintains assignments’ calendars, plans and schedules meetings, conferences, teleconferences, video conferences and travel; apprises assignment of schedule in advance of commitments
Analyzes, allocates, processes and monitors complex expense reports
Maintains and updates assignments’ client/matter lists, Outlook contacts and Marketing mailing lists
Responsible for assignments’ annual mailings
Researches and routes correspondence
Produces information by formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, copying and transmitting documents
Proofreads and reviews all work produced
Receives, screens and transfers telephone calls; relays telephone messages according to method preferred by assignments (e.g., written messages, email, or voicemail)
Responsible for submitting requests for conflicts reports; prepares and monitors creation of new business forms
Coordinates client billing with billing specialist
Enters, proofreads and finalizes assignments’ time entries on a daily basis;
Maintains assigned lawyers’ files pursuant to the Firm’s Policy on Records Management
Support visiting lawyers/clients when required
Ability to work well with all levels of internal management and staff as well as outside clients and vendors
Works harmoniously and effectively with others as part of a team
A self-starter who desires to show ownership and commitment to the job; accepts responsibility for actions
Exercises confidentiality and discretion
Volunteers to assist others and seeks out work during slow periods in workload
Continues to develop skills and abilities
Maintains a safe and unobstructed work area, including a neat and well-organized desk; demonstrates safe work practices
Other duties, as assigned
New York Applicants (and roles reporting to New York): Salaries may vary by location. In New York, the estimated target salary range of this role is $115,000 - $128,000 in addition to bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefit package. Salary determinations are made based on numerous factors, such as, but not limited to, the relevant market and the skill, experience, class or graduation year, and education of the selected candidate.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources).
Required:
High school diploma or general education degree (GED)
Demonstrated proficiency in the Microsoft suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
Demonstrated proficiency in basic knowledge of legal terminology, formatting of legal documents and practice group's systems and procedures (e.g., court procedures, closings)
Preferred:
B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university
Previous experience in a professional services firm (not necessarily all in a law firm)
Types accurately at 60-70 wpm
Proficiency in advanced functions of Microsoft suite (e.g., Adobe)
Excellent command of Blackline packages such as DeltaView
Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Job Abstracts is an independent Job Search Engine. Job Abstracts is not an agent or representative and is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with any employer. Job Abstracts uses proprietary technology to keep the availability and accuracy of its job listings and their details. All trademarks, service marks, logos, domain names, and job descriptions are the property of their respective holder. Job Abstracts does not have its members apply for a job on the jobabstracts.com website. Additionally, Job Abstracts may provide a list of third-party job listings that may not be affiliated with any employer. Please make sure you understand and agree to the website's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies you are applying on as they may differ from ours and are not in our control.
We would like to take a second to Welcome You to Job Abstracts, the nation’s largest Pure Job Board. With over 3.1 million job listings from 15,000+ Companies & Organizations, we help job searchers find careers that match their interests. As an anonymous user, you have probably discovered how easy our system is to use. However, you have just scratched the surface of what we can offer.
We encourage you to Register so you can use our most powerful features: searching with multiple terms, setting up multiple locations, establishing favorite companies, and accessing your search history. If you find a job you like, you can apply directly for it, and then, keep notes on it. We will also keep a lookout for jobs that match your search terms and email you when we find something you may like.
You can register for free and the system is free to use. If you like our system so far, click on Register and unlock the power required by serious job searchers.
Any time you conduct a search, the system shows you job matches, ranked by their Relevance Score (RS).
The score is calculated by a proprietary algorithm that uses Intelligent Machine Learning.
The Relevance Score tells you how well the job opportunity matches your search term or terms.
When not logged in, the system is limited to one search term. Scores for single term matches are usually lower.
When you register, log in, and set up multiple terms prioritized by importance, the jobs found for you will receive a much higher Relevance Score.