Job Details

Legal Secretary

The Legal Assistant provides administrative and clerical support to attorneys, including preparing, proofreading, and processing legal documents. This role assists with legal research, coordinates correspondence and scheduling, maintains calendars, and supports special projects and event planning.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provides confidential administrative support to legal staff.
• Provides specific secretarial support to a particular legal specialty or team within the Office of the General Counsel (e.g., student and faculty, tax and benefits, corporate, transactional, intellectual property, real estate, litigation, labor and employment, etc.)
• Assists with the preparation of contracts, corporate, transactional, intellectual property, claims, risk management, and other legal documents, correspondence, reports, etc.
• Operates word processing equipment to type materials from rough drafts, corrected copy, voice recordings, and magnetic tape files, insuring appropriateness of form and content.
• Types or enters and assembles a variety of legal forms, schedules, reports, lists, correspondence, calendars, briefs, facsimile requests, and opinions.
• Proofreads and corrects materials for correct grammar, syntax, and punctuation, for clerical accuracy, and for spelling.
• Composes, compares, edits, revises, tabulates, and/or prints letters, tables, reports, and other materials.
• Sets up and maintains calendars and appointment schedules for attorneys.
• Reserves meeting locations and arranges for supplies such as overheads, handouts, or other materials as needed.
• Promptly communicates any changes being made to schedules to attorneys and all other involved parties.
• Prepares meeting confirmations.
• Pulls and reviews files for daily calendars.
• Ensures meeting files are up to date and contain all pertinent information; follows through on requesting missing information and/or brings to attorney's attention for action.
• Makes travel and lodging arrangements for attorneys, and prepares expense and expense reimbursement requests.
• With high degree of professionalism, tact, diplomacy, and common sense, takes and responds to telephone calls from and to clients, University and Health System administrators, faculty, students, and other internal and external personnel.
• Responds to questions and or directs them to the appropriate staff member or other University, or Health System offices.
• Independently handles those that do not require the personal attention of an attorney or paralegal.
• Assists with compiling and maintaining letters, agreements, and other documentation.
• Maintains ticklers, inputs data into databases, spreadsheets, and other tracking systems.
• Sets up, organizes, and maintains files, both paper and electronic versions.
• Organizes large amounts of data, documents, and other materials in a comprehensive central filing system.
• Creates and maintains tickler schedule for archiving and purging.
• Uses personal computer to produce special request materials such as databases, proposals, charts, graphs, presentation materials, mailing lists, legal materials, and meeting agendas.
• Tracks and maintains University and Health System trademark applications, issued trademarks, statuses, and other data elements in Trademark Docket database in MS Access.
• Receives, opens, prioritizes, and distributes mail. Operates Windows PC, photocopiers, scanners, and printers.
• Superior skills using Windows 10 and MS Office 365 (including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access).
• Performs general office duties.
• Establishes and maintains professional working relationships and works in collaboration with other members of the Office of the General Counsel.
• Assists counsel with research, including obtaining copies of statutes, regulations, ordinances, corporate filings, and cases as directed.
• Performs special projects as assigned.
• Performs other related duties in areas of responsibility as assigned, including but not limited to logistics of conference and other group event planning.
• Provides back-up secretarial support, as needed.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma required. Associates or Bachelor degree preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years experience at a comparable level including a minimum of three (3) years advanced secretarial training required.
• Training and/or experience as a legal secretary required. Experience with legal, technical, and medical terminology preferred.
• Possesses superior word processing skills.
• Experience with analytical, research, and writing skills.
• Maintains effective work relationships at all levels.
• Exercises discretion in working with highly confidential information.
• Ability to think independently, initiate and recognize basic requirements, and develop and follow through on additional requirements on a case-by-case basis.
• Must recognize deadlines and prioritize work accordingly.
• Will be involved with counsel in directing and responding to requests of outside counsel.
• Ability to independently handle requests for information and assistance to counsel able to effectively organize and handle a large volume of documents on a variety of topics.
• Effectively communicate with co-workers and clients.
• Work cooperatively and demonstrate teamwork.
• Ability to deal tactfully, professionally, and in a variety of situations with all levels of management.
• Must be energetic and flexible.
• Able to speak, read, and write fluent English.
• Superior skills working with PC Windows 11 environment and using Microsoft Office 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access,) Adobe Acrobat, Internet Explorer and other computer software applications.
• Demonstrate accurate type speed of 95 words per minute (wpm.)

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pay Range

$31.55 - $38.45 Hourly Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.