Paralegal

Posted Aug 11

Description

Zirtual is a work-life balanced company that offers law firms practice area specific, experienced virtual paralegals. Our US-based paralegals strive to meet and exceed attorney-client needs and expectations. Zirtual offers paralegals in every practice area and state, both transactional and litigation. 

Our paralegals are vital members of Zirtual. The paralegal is the main point of contact with their assigned client(s) and will work independently with the law firms. The paralegal will receive support from their assigned Account Supervisor, who will assist the paralegal & law firm relationship with plan modifications, questions, feedback on quality, delegation and collaboration best practices, and more.

The paralegal will provide a high-level professional service by working on tasks and projects as assigned by the client, and ensuring they are executed on time and to the highest level of quality. The paralegal is responsible for being the main point of contact for their assigned client(s), and being familiar with each clients’ needs and preferences. 

The paralegal must have consistent and proactive communication with clients and the Account Supervisors. Paralegals are expected to be available for clients during business hours as agreed upon with each client, but around-the-clock availability is not expected. Paralegals ensure time is entered on a daily basis using a provided tool, respond to all communication within a mutually established response time expectation tailored to each client’s needs, maintain detailed and up-to-date client profiles, and follow Zirtual's best practices for success.

Job Overview

Paralegals within Zirtual’s Paralegal Division are custom matched based upon the client’s specific needs, practice areas and state. The outlined tasks below will vary based on each client and practice area. When reviewing, please consider those tasks applicable to your specialty. 

In general, paralegals are expected to have a minimum of 3 years of experience handling the below outlined duties. 

When offered a client, you will be provided with a Statement of Work that outlines the pay rate for the specific client as well as any area specific additions. While paralegals may be asked to handle legal assistant tasks, the rate will be outlined in the provided Statement of Work. 

Note: If you do not have paralegal specific experience as outlined below, please apply to our legal assistant position!

PARALEGAL SUPPORT 

Areas of Practice 

  • Document Drafting and Review: Draft and review a variety of simple AND complex legal documents, pleadings, motions, and correspondence.
  • Discovery & Document Assistance: Organize, track, and respond to discovery requests and demands. 
  • Summarizations: Review, analyze, and create summaries of records, depositions, research, etc.
  • Legal Research
  • Due Diligence and Compliance: Reviewing records, deadlines, and dockets
  • Communication Support: Liaison with law firm clients, opposing counsel, government entities, courts, and third parties. 
  • Filing & eFIling: Filing with state and federal courts, and government entities. Internal file management. 
  • Case or Transaction Management: Keep records, maintain files, monitor milestones, etc. 
  • Trial Support: Specifically for litigation paralegals, support in trial and post-trial activities including trial briefs, organizing evidence and exhibits, drafting pre-trial and post-trial motions, jury instructions, etc.
  • Attend virtual law firm meetings: Meet with attorneys and other law firm employees to discuss cases, deadlines, strategy, etc. Often meetings are conducted regularly. 
  • Conflict Checking: Paralegals are required to maintain their own internal conflict checking system.
  • More: Depending on your practice area, this list may be more extensive. 

LEGAL ASSISTANT SUPPORT 

  • File & document management
  • Organizational support
  • Boilerplate document drafting such as notice of deposition, notice of representation, cover letters, etc.
  • eFile with state courts and local entities
  • Coordinating with third parties, obtaining hearing or meeting dates, etc.
  • Basic client relationship management
  • Request and gather forms, documents and basic information
  • Email & calendar management
  • Creating new matters in case management softwares
  • Creating exhibit charts and other organizational charts
  • Coordinating signings, depositions, etc. 
  • Attend meetings/take notes
  • Additional standard virtual assistant-type work
  • More: Depending on your practice area, this list may not be exhaustive 

Requirements

Skills and Attributes

Virtual paralegals are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, cognizant of the nature of the business relationship and customer service expectations. 

Virtual paralegals should be:

  • Exceptional communicators, allowing their clients to feel comfortable that deadlines are being met, clients are taken care of, and that they can trust your commitment to their firm.
  • Organized and self-sufficient, able to self-manage their workload, prioritize tasks and meet or exceed deadlines.
  • Technologically Proficient, willing and able to navigate new case management systems and softwares depending on the firm. 
  • Detail oriented, ensuring all work product turned into the client is generally free from errors, especially minor “oversight” errors.
  • Solution based, knowing when they need to leverage their resources to find the answers, while also knowing when it makes more sense to ask the client for guidance or more instruction.

Qualifications:

  • Minimum 3 years of experience handling paralegal work as outlined above (ideally a steady three years in your practice area(s))
  • Experience working remotely 
  • Home office set up, reliable computer, WiFi, phone
  • Extensive experience within case/transaction management and drafting softwares (practice area dependent)
  • Experience with standard office softwares, Microsoft 365 products, Google, etc. 
  • Available during business hours Monday-Friday, unless otherwise arranged based on specific client needs and tasks. 
  • Preferred working independently at least part-time

Benefits

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

  • You will be compensated as a 1099 independent contractor.
  • When matched out of our preferred network, and depending on your practice area, you can expect to earn a minimum of $28 per hour for paralegal work.
  • You can expect to earn $20 per hour for legal assistant work.
  • Pay is dependent on client plan size, area of practice and need.

NOTE:

  • Zirtual does not guarantee hours or clients. Please note that this application is to join the Zirtual contractor network. If offered to join, you will be considered for client opportunities that best match your skills and interests.