Practice Assistant, Disputes - Commercial and Construction

We are BLG: Canada’s Law Firm. Our culture is one of vigilance and curiosity, Firm-wide collaboration, unfailing mutual respect and dedication. We pride ourselves on having standout talent and delivering an exceptional client experience.

We are a future-minded Firm delivering high-value advice and known for our unwavering commitment to innovation, diversity and inclusion, community involvement and talent development. Learn more about us at www.blg.com.

Purpose of the Role

The Practice Assistant, Disputes Construction and Commercial Group will be expected to coordinate the workflow for other support services including delegating and reviewing the completion of document production, file management, copying/scanning work and other administrative work.  The Practice Assistant will take an active interest in, and obtain a thorough understanding of, all aspects of client requirements to provide exceptional service levels to the lawyers and our clients. 

Key Responsibilities:

Administrative

• Manage calendars, ensuring they are up to date and reminding lawyers of meetings etc. on a daily basis.
• Arrange meetings, book conference rooms, refreshments, check rooms prior to meetings etc. and liaise with other attendees, both internal and external.
• Arrange for travel bookings and related details to be made through the support teams.
• Arrange photocopying, printing, organizing couriers, sending out of letters, faxes etc.
• Arrange for files to be opened and closed; supervise general filing requirements and record keeping.
• Use effective systems to ensure that both short and long-term tasks are completed within required timescales.
• Support lawyers in marketing activities including involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations.

Communication

• Take internal and external telephone queries, responding as appropriate and/or ensuring that all messages are passed on in a timely manner.
• Monitor post and/or e-mails and dealing with as appropriate and ensure that all client related correspondence is passed on to an appropriate lawyer if the relevant person is out of the office.
• Liaise with administrative support departments on behalf of lawyers as required.
• Liaise with the department’s Team Leader over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant lawyers.

Client Relationship Management

• Become an active part in the care of clients and be wholly familiar with contacts/clients
• Enter, maintain and update client details and relevant information in the Firm’s CRM contacts system.
• Deal with basic client queries and general administration.
• Arrange client meetings.

Document Production

• Check correspondence, attachments, documents, reports, and presentations, faxes etc. produced by the Document Production team before they are passed to the relevant lawyer and undertake basic/minor amendments where appropriate.
• Type urgent/short/confidential correspondence and emails.
• Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required.

Financial - Billing

• Assist lawyers in ensuring their time is recorded properly and entered onto the system on a daily basis.
• Assist lawyers in the billing and credit control process by liaising with the lawyer and accounts and to produce standard prebill financial/time reports through the system.
• Request cheques, bank transfers and paying in money received, as appropriate.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• In addition to providing support to the lawyer(s) to whom they report, a Practice Assistant will also provide assistance to their immediate colleagues in the department and, where practical, other departments.
• Team duties will therefore include:
  • Assisting other members of the firm, both proactively and at the request of the Team Leader.
  • Any other duties as requested by the Lawyers or Team Leader.

Key Competencies

• Legal Administrative Assistant Certificate from an accredited university
• 3-5 years of experience working as a Legal Administrative Assistant
• Solid understanding of Civil Litigation inclusive of court filing/service procedures.
• Accurate typing speed of approximately 60 words per minute.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, research tools and other systems implemented by the firm.
• Knowledge of ACL, iManage and PrimaFact considered an asset.
• Excellent telephone manner and competent knowledge of telephone system.
• Excellent communication, organizational and team skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to think ahead and use initiative.
• Flexible and dependable, able to take the initiative.
• Able to remain calm under pressure and work to tight deadlines.
• Conscientious, approachable and enthusiastic.
• Able to quickly build confidence, respect and trust with others.
• Have a positive approach to daily tasks and have a solutions focused working method.

The expected salary range for this position is $55,000 - $85,000, depending on level of experience, region/location, and other factors.

BLG is committed to building a diverse workplace reflective of the communities we serve and to fostering an inclusive culture where Firm members feel valued, respected and inspired to thrive as their authentic selves.  We value diversity of thought and the unique skills, perspectives and experience each individual brings to BLG. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and encourage applicants from members of groups that have been historically underrepresented, including but not limited to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, people who identify as women and/or LGBTQ2S+. 

We also strive to provide an accessible candidate experience. Please let us know if you need any accommodations during the recruitment process.