Legal Assistant Boston DC Job ID: 20212 General Summary: The Legal Assistant supports the legal practice of firms attorneys in our Boston and DC offices and the management team in all aspects of complex commercial affordable housing transactions, including drafting real estate documents based on templates or previously drafted documents, drafting transaction and closing documents based on templates or previously created documents, drafting routine correspondence, and filing documents with appropriate local, state or federal government entities. This position requires a hybrid physical presence on-site in BOSTON or DC a minimum of 2-3 days per week. The position supports attorneys, paralegals, and Firm management. Position assists with preparing and organizing documents, including notarizing them, coordinating client visits and other duties as may be assigned to fulfill the mission of the Firm and its clients. Essential Job Functions: Legal support duties: • Collaborate with paralegals and attorneys in preparing affordable real estate development corporate and transaction documents. • Prepare professional, error-free letters, memoranda, and email correspondence, for internal or external circulation in hard/soft copy. • Greet and interact with clients with the utmost professionalism, ensuring that they feel comfortable and welcomed, both in person in the office and over the telephone. • Support the practice of attorneys by learning how they prefer to interact and communicate internally and externally, their preferred work style and their methods of organization. • File documents in the firm’s document management system, maintaining completeness and organization by complying with internal document naming conventions and filing policies and procedures. • Maintain attorney calendars, noting deadlines and due dates on incoming correspondence, and advising attorney well in advance of pending deadlines. • Make travel arrangements, schedule appointments, answer telephones, and perform other similar administrative duties. • Process attorney expense reports in a timely manner. • Maintain attorney files on bar memberships, dues, and CLE requirements. • Assist and collaborate with attorneys in drafting, proofreading, and executing legal documents including real estate documents and corporate formation documents, including: • Order and file organizational documents with various government offices. • Create business entities with state government offices. • Compare documents using Litera or other document comparison software. • Under the direction of an attorney, prepare and organize closing documents and assist in the execution of the documents, including: • Draft and maintain closing checklists. • Create binders and CDs of closing transcriptions/documents. • Organize and maintain client files, filing relevant documents in the electronic database system within 24 hours of receipt. • Draft necessary correspondence with clients keeping them informed about the latest developments regarding their matter, and sending across necessary documents via e-mail, fax or post. • Review invoices to assure they are appropriate and work with the accounting clerk to assist in prompt payments and prompt recording of client expenses. • Maintain good working relationships with all members of the office team, assisting others as necessary in support of the goals of the whole firm. • Interface and maintain good working relationships with outside vendors, including IT support. • Other miscellaneous duties as assigned. Administrative management support duties: • Participate in performing administrative tasks shared by the entire staff including answering the main telephone lines and serving as back-up Legal Assistant for other staff members. • When needed, assist management team with administrative requests, for example serving as a notary to the firm and other ad hoc administrative tasks in recruiting, operations, professional development, marketing, and human resources. • At all times interact with colleagues, clients and other third-parties with a high degree of professionalism and a can-do attitude; foster collegial, productive working relationships with staff and third parties. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: • Excellent Microsoft Office skills: Word (including advanced expertise in Table of Contents, Formatting Codes, and Styles), Excel, and PowerPoint. • Proficient Adobe Professional skills: Editing, redacting, indexing, converting PDF to/from Word) • Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills, including the ability to handle multiple, competing priorities in an often fast-paced environment. • Exceptional attention to detail. • A team player with excellent communication skills. • Professionalism, discretion and outstanding judgment in handling confidential client and firm-related information. • Process-oriented with an ability to utilize technology to add efficiency to processes. Preferred Qualification: • Commitment to the Firm’s public service mission of preserving and developing affordable housing and empowering communities. The Firm offers a culture of work flexibility, and benefits from working in a dynamic, collegial, and respectful professional services environment while taking pride in providing top-flight customer service to all stakeholders. Personal Qualities: • Effective teambuilding and time management skills to meet deadlines and deliverables proficiently. • Reliable, respectful, and transparent to perform with integrity and exemplary quality standards. • Proactive, quick learner who takes responsibility, uses initiative, and anticipates issues. • Committed to the Firm’s mission while pursuing continued personal and professional growth. • Demonstrates productive self-management and composure when dealing with conflicts and/or difficult situations. Education and Experience: • Bachelor’s Degree in English, Business Administration, Communications, or related field is preferred. • Must have a minimum of 2-3 years’ office work experience, preferably in a law Firm environment. • Must enjoy and have proven ability to provide top-flight administrative support services. • Familiarity with law firm time and billing processes (e.g., LMS/SurePoint) and expense tracking applications (e.g., CentreSuite) or similar client data bases and reporting is a plus. Tagged as: Legal Assistant #J-18808-Ljbffr