Practice Specialist

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us.  Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

We are seeking an IP Practice Assistant to join the Orange County office. The Practice Specialist will work closely with local administrative management/the HR team and partners to ensure that the relevant office goals are met.  This includes maintaining the standards of performance of Practice and Senior Practice Assistants; coaching them on compliance with firm policies, procedures, and best practices; and ensuring adherence to quality, service, and timeliness standards.  The Practice Specialist is responsible for overseeing the work flow, assignment of tasks, and project work of the Practice and Senior Practice Assistants to ensure smooth and effective support for timekeepers. Those in this role must observe confidentiality on all client matters and adhere to all procedures and guidelines set by the firm. Candidates must be self-starters who possess the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Excellent communication skills and a commitment to providing the highest quality client service are strongly preferred.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Timekeepers, clients, other practice assistants, and local and firmwide shared services staff, particularly document services, client services, and office services

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Serving as primary resource for timekeepers in relation to administrative support and information regarding office procedures, firm policy, and document production
• Distributing, monitoring, and assisting with work assigned to the Practice Assistants and Senior Practice Assistants
• Monitoring the quality and quantity of work submitted to the team
• Working with the Practice Assistants and Senior Practice Assistants to ensure priorities, deadlines, and requirements are met
• Encouraging and promoting teamwork
• Ensuring that the Practice Assistants and Senior Practice Assistants keep abreast of new and existing systems and procedures, as well as changes to these
• Working with the relevant parties to identify the training needs of the Practice Assistants and Senior Practice Assistants and scheduling training sessions to ensure adequate team support
• Communicating with relevant parties to determine staffing needs during team member absences (long and short term) and assigning absentee coverage where appropriate
• Performing relevant duties in a particular practice area as directed by the immediate supervisor such as those described within the Practice Assistant and Senior Practice Assistant job description
• Maintaining knowledge of multiple practice areas
• Occasionally working overtime and evening and/or weekend hours in order to meet deadlines

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

EXPERIENCE SKILLS REQUIRED
• Extensive experience of legal secretarial work within a medium to large law firm working for senior lawyers and partners
• Advanced knowledge of Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Adobe
• Typing speed of 65 wpm or above
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail, including using correct spelling and grammar
• Exemplary client service skills
• Previous experience with Elite, Legal Key, and document management system or comparable software would be an advantage, as would conference room booking software and travel agency programs

ADDITIONAL ABILITIES REQUIRED
• Interact effectively with people at all levels of the Firm
• Work autonomously with limited guidance
• Work well within a team
• Coordinate a team of legal support staff
• Organize and prioritize own workload and that of the Practice and Senior Practice Assistants
• Meet multiple deadlines
• Use own judgment in decision making to solve problems and achieve business outcomes
• Take the initiative in handling projects and anticipating what needs to be done
• Demonstrate resilience
• This job operates in an office setting and is largely sedentary, requiring the routine use of a computer and other standard office equipment.  The ability to open file cabinets, lift files, bend, and stand on a stool may also be required.

ABOUT THE FIRM

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with approximately 2,000 lawyers across five continents. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world.  We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world.

The industry recognition the firm has garnered in the past five years emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

To learn what makes us different from other law firms, including our collaborative approach, entrepreneurial spirit, and our commitment to diversity, check out our video, “Grow Your Career at K&L Gates.”

If you agree that we are different from other law firms - and the right place for you to grow your career - please apply for this position.  For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.

Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

BENEFITS

We offer a dynamic work environment and excellent benefits.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices shall not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of unlawful harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is sexual, racial, age-related, disability-related or ethnic background-related.