Legal Secretary

• Drafts routine correspondence and emails for principals from handwritten notes and audio files.
• Transcribes talk to text or other dictation methods such as tapes; edits and proofreads; prepares for the principal's review.
• Sends email “on behalf” of principal to recipients identified by the principal. Occasionally researches current email addresses for recipients. Requires attention to detail of similar name and/or email addresses to prevent sending emails to the wrong people. Follows up on automatic replies such as undeliverable addresses.
• Looks for contact changes in correspondence and client materials such as board minutes. Confirms contact changes with the principal.
• Updates contact lists in a timely manner when client and vendor staff change. Contacts Plan offices to get updated information as needed.
• Maintains group emails lists. Removes auto fill contacts from email accounts to prevent incorrect email messages.
• Proofs and edits principals' correspondence. Applies judgment and knowledge of the practice area to make suggestions to wording as appropriate.
• Adheres to firm guidelines on all document formats.
• Electronically files all correspondence according to firm guidelines.
• Prepares client (board) meeting minutes and reports.
• Timesheets
• Enters the principal's billing time and narrative from hard copy into the LMS system.
• Adds client and matter numbers to the time entries based on scheduled meetings, travel itineraries and the secretary's understanding of the principal's work.
• Keeps track of timesheets and reminds the principal if there are days missing or apparent gaps in billed time.
• Edits narrative to meet the firm's guidelines and standards on timesheet entries.
• Provides a bi-weekly time edit of LMS timesheets for the principal's review and approval.
• Makes edits based on the principal's review; saves a pdf of the edited timesheet for the principal's personal records before releasing the timesheet to accounting.

• Uses knowledge of the principal's travel to prepare an organized and detailed expense report.
• Prepares expense reports as expenses are incurred, submitting all expenses to accounting at end of the month so that the expenses can be included in the client's next invoice.
• Carefully tracks expenses on the principal's personal credit card so the principal can easily reconcile his account statement.
• Utilizing the contact lists to identify LM-10 eligible persons (union affiliated), audits travel expenses for LM-10 tracking purposes every month and provides the information to accounting for tracking and reporting.

• Makes air, hotel, and ground transportation arrangements for assigned principals.
• Coordinates travel with other secretaries when another attorney is attending same meeting.
• Applies knowledge of the principal's preferences and the specific client's practices (level of hotel accommodation, times meetings typically end, etc.).
• Has contingency travel plans for a variety of scenarios to minimize the impact of schedule changes and emergencies.
• Organizes and prepares travel packets that include all confirmation and boarding passes.

• Pulls documents and files from the DM or storage as needed or requested.
• Properly profiles all documents going in or out of the principal's office.
• Adheres to firm guidelines on all DM filing procedures,
• Manages the principal's desktop in-box. Organizes materials with priority for the principal. Ensures urgent matters are handled in a timely manner when the principal is traveling and does not have access to his in-box.
• Prepares board/meeting materials for the principal in an organized manner with each component clearly identified.
• Anticipates background and source material the principal may want and includes those with board/meeting materials.
• DMs email from principal's Outlook cabinet, including reviewing attachments for separate profiling needs.

• Keeps the firm public calendar up to date by adding travel, meetings, calls and vacations
• Stays abreast of the principal's activities and if she feels the principal has failed to add something to the calendar, brings it to the principal's attention.
• If attorneys or clients request meetings/calls, the secretary informs the principal of the request and if requested by the principal, the secretary will make the appointment and add it to the calendar; the secretary does not schedule meetings/calls without discussing it first with the principal.

• Occasionally provides support to other attorneys when their assigned secretary is out of the office.
• When the secretary is available, assists other secretaries with high priority or overflow work.

• 5+ years of law experience required

Palmer Staffing Services