Position Summary:

The Municipal Paralegal provides substantive paralegal support and administrative assistance to attorneys across multiple practice areas. This role is designed for a proactive professional who takes ownership of assigned matters from intake through resolution. The ideal candidate independently manages their portion of the legal process, including gathering and organizing materials, coordinating directly with client contacts to obtain missing information and clarify outstanding issues, drafting proof versions of legal documents, tracking case progress, and calendaring/tracking deadlines. This position requires judgment, accountability, and strong follow-through while working under attorney supervision.

 

Key Responsibilities:

Case Ownership & Paralegal-Style Support

1. Take responsibility for assigned cases or projects, managing tasks through completion with minimal day-to-day supervision.
2. Proactively gather, organize, and maintain case materials, including correspondence, discovery, medical records, and other supporting documentation.
3. Identify missing information or documentation and independently coordinate with clients, opposing counsel, courts, and third parties to obtain or clarify required materials.
4. Draft proof versions of pleadings, affidavits, discovery responses, releases, subpoenas, and other legal documents for attorney review.
5. Prepare and organize filing-ready documents, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with court rules and procedural requirements.
6. Assist with discovery by drafting requests and responses, organizing productions, summarizing documents, and calendaring/tracking deadlines.
7. Summarize medical records, depositions, discovery responses, and other case evidence in a clear and attorney-usable format.
8. Conduct basic legal and factual research using Westlaw or other research tools, as assigned.
9. Monitor case progress and deadlines, alerting attorneys to upcoming obligations and potential issues.

 

Client & Third-Party Coordination

1. Serve as a primary point of contact for clients regarding document collection, status updates, and routine procedural questions.
2. Communicate professionally with client representatives, medical providers, experts, and court personnel to obtain records and resolve administrative issues.
3. Prepare clients for document execution and assist attorneys with preparation for hearings, depositions, and other legal proceedings.

 

Administrative & Practice Support

1. Manage attorney calendars, including scheduling depositions, hearings, court appearances, meetings, and conferences.
2. Track deadlines, maintain tickler systems, and ensure timely filings.
3. Open new matters, including performing conflict checks and setting up physical and electronic files.
4. Organize, index, and maintain digital and physical case files in accordance with firm standards.
5. Draft, format, and proofread correspondence and internal documents for accuracy, clarity, and professionalism.
6. Handle incoming and outgoing communications, including calls, emails, and mail, responding to routine inquiries as appropriate.
7. Provide backup support to other legal assistants/paralegals during absences or periods of increased workload.

 

Qualifications:

1. 2+ years of experience in a legal assistant or paralegal role (combined or separate) including supporting attorneys with litigation or other types of legal proceedings or a combination of education and similar administrative employment experience.
2. Associate degree or certification from a recognized paralegal/legal assistant program preferred but not required.
3. Strong knowledge of legal terminology, court systems, and legal procedures.
4. Ability to use Microsoft Office tools and legal document management software.
5. Ability to conduct basic legal research using Westlaw or other research tools.
6. Ability to learn and apply the latest in AI-assisted tools to improve workflows.
7. Strong organizational, multitasking, and time-management skills.
8. Excellent knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and composition.
9. Ability to understand and follow detailed instructions.
10. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

 

Preferred Attributes

1. Demonstrated ownership mindset with strong accountability and follow-through.
2. Comfort managing substantive legal tasks in addition to administrative responsibilities.
3. Comfort learning new areas of the law and adopting new tools.
4. Proactive problem-solver who anticipates needs, identifies gaps, and addresses issues without waiting for instruction.
5. Detail-oriented and deadline-driven in a fast-paced legal environment.
6. Adaptable to shifting priorities and high-volume workloads.

 

Success in This Role Requires

1. Taking initiative to understand the why behind assignments, not just completing discrete tasks.
2. Flagging missing information, inconsistencies, or risks and proposing next steps to move matters forward.
3. Managing assigned workstreams independently, including tracking status, following up with stakeholders, and driving tasks to completion.
4. Comfort making reasonable decisions within established guidelines and elevating issues when attorney input is required.

 

This Role is Not a Good Fit for Candidates Who

1. Prefer to work exclusively from step-by-step instructions without responsibility for outcomes.
2. Are uncomfortable following up with clients or third parties to obtain needed information.
3. Expect attorneys to manage organization, tracking, and next steps for assigned tasks.
4. Focus only on checking tasks off a list rather than progressing matters toward resolution.

 

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

 

Work Environment

Ability to perform sedentary work with occasional filing tasks requiring lifting, bending, standing, and opening filing cabinets.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position working 40 hours/week.  Regular days and hours of work are negotiable between the hours of 7:30 am to 5:00 pm on Monday - Friday, plus occasional overtime as job duties demand and authorized by supervising attorney.

 

Disclaimer:

The above job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position.employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Employment at Lynch Dallas Legal is at will and may be terminated by either party at any time for any lawful reason with or without cause or notice.  

Lynch Dallas Legal is an Equal Opportunity Employer