Employment Opportunities:

Estate Planning Associate Attorney

Overview:

Our growing law firm is seeking a mid-level, local, Estate Planning Associate Attorney to manage a large caseload of matters consisting of Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Medi-Cal Benefits and Business Law. We have cultivated a remarkable team that embraces the belief that the work we do is more than just a job, it is a way to help protect the lives of the families we serve.

The Candidate will have:

• • J.D. from an accredited law school and licensed with the California State Bar.
  • Must have 3+ years of estate planning experience.
  • Experience handling matters from inception to conclusion, including meeting with clients, developing a strategy for an estate plan, and preparing the appropriate estate plan documents to meet the client’s objectives.
  • Effective, clear, concise and accurate communication, both oral and written, at an appropriate level to the situation and the client.
  • Working knowledge of finance, investments.
  • Great ability to focus under pressure and the willingness to do what needs to be done.
  • Demonstrate a high degree of discretion, confidentiality, and integrity in the handling of personal client information, including following the Rules of Professional Conduct.
  • Have strong computer skills with extensive experience using MS Office Suite, time keeping and case management software.
  • Experience with Wealth Counsel drafting is desired.
  • Tax experience or CPA a plus.

Key Responsibilities:

• • Conduct initial consultation with clients.
  • Identify the appropriate strategy to meet the client’s expressed objectives and make recommendations to fulfill those objectives including advising on the appropriate type of trust(s) to meet the client’s objectives.
  • Draft estate planning documents, including wills, distinct types of trusts, ancillary documents.
  • Ability to explain complex legal concepts and explain all provisions of the estate plan to the client.
  • Draft probate court documents and motions.
  • Represent clients at Probate and/or Trust hearings.
  • Review client issues on probate matters, analyze available options and diligently work to determine the best course of action.
  • Experience drafting corporate governance and formation documents.
  • Ability to self-start, meet deadlines, prioritize, manage multiple projects simultaneously, work well with change in a fast-paced environment.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date client files (digital and hard copy).
  • Draft Trust Administration documents.

• • Regularly consult with clients, accountants, financial advisors, and other parties as needed to effectively move cases forward.
  • Successfully negotiate settlements and contracts as appropriate.
  • Cultivate relationships with the firm’s existing and future clients by maintaining consistent and timely communication.
  • Report on caseload at weekly case review meeting.
  • Develop a client following to increase the firm’s revenues and accurately and effectively record all time worked.

Compensation and Benefits:

• • Compensation dependent on experience and qualifications, at market rates.
  • Recognized work-life balance.
  • Paid Holidays.
  • Personal Time Off.
  • Health Insurance available.

How to Apply

If this exciting opportunity appeals to you, we look forward to reviewing your resume. Please send your resume, along with a cover letter explaining what your three most important qualities are, to [email protected]. The subject line of the email should be your last name (all caps), followed by a hyphen and the word “associate,” followed by one word you would use to describe yourself (lower case).

Professional Legal Administrator

We are looking for a Professional Legal Administrator to work directly with the Law Firm Owners to oversee everything except the practice of law. This includes not only strategic planning, project management, and critical administrative and financial oversight, but is also a key leadership role in shaping and sustaining firm culture.

Please note we do not accept applications made directly through this website. In fact, we won’t even see them if you try. So, if you’re interested in applying to this position, please FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AT THE END OF THIS POSTING. Apply by email only.

We need Law Firm Administrator who is a PRO at workflow and project management, who deeply understands employee engagement, who is metrics-driven and KPI-obsessed, and who will be invested in making important contributions to the success of the Firm.

About the position:

We’re an established law firm with an office in Murrieta, and a satellite office in La Quinta.  We need a full-blown bona fide Professional Legal Administrator who has experience running an office and building a successful business. We are not looking for an Office Manager or an Administrative Assistant. Do NOT apply if your only prior experience is as an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant, or Office Manager.

Our Firm represents clients with the Estate Planning, Trust Administration, Probate and Business needs.

The position encompasses a wide range of activities with involvement in all phases of administration, personnel, finances, facilities, and business systems. We need someone with the experience and maturity to work closely with the Owner and key staff on strategy, policy, problem-solving, and decision-making. This position will be responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the day-to-day operations of the Firm, and for directing the implementation of Firm policies.

We are building a firm where systems run the business, and people run the systems. This position is responsible for improving both our people and our systems.

You must be able to show evidence of your prior success with:

• • Playing a role in management of teams of 15+ people and budgets of $5,000,000 or more
  • Systems management and process refinement to ensure matters are handled appropriately so that client needs are met, legal & ethical requirements are met, and clients receive excellent service
  • Employee engagement and leadership, supervision, and termination
  • Measuring what matters and using common financial reports to make business decisions (budget variance, P&L, cashflow forecast)
  • Managing vendors such as bookkeepers, accountants, and technology services

We care about skills and experience. We care just as much about your behaviors, habits, and attitudes…the right person for this role must:

• • Lead change – drive it and thrive in it
  • Talk more about the solution than the problem
  • Equally embrace both aspects of the “work/life balance”
  • Never hesitate to praise when deserved and correct when needed
  • Have thick skin and high empathy
  • Have keen conflict resolution skills (not conflict avoidance skills)

Ideal applicants will have the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities recommended by the Association of Legal Administrators. Prior legal experience is required. Knowledge of our areas of practice will be helpful. In all cases, you need to commit to getting yourself up to speed quickly because you will be expected to make sure cases and clients are getting the attention they need and that the staff is following the rules.

Our firm has been very successful and we have grown rapidly without the guidance of a professional administrator. We are proud of the firm we’ve built; we’ve done a lot of good, and we’ve gotten a lot of stuff right! But there is a lot of room for improvement and expertise. This is the first time we will be bringing in someone from the outside to help us manage and grow our firm. The right person for this position is someone we can develop trust in and who will trust in us. The right person for this position will be able to “manage up” to help us help you get your job done.

This is an executive-level position with an executive compensation plan that includes a salary and incentives driven by performance towards KPIs.

We do good work and take great satisfaction in helping others make plans for the future and protect their loved ones. We want to be profitable as well. We want to have a good life and we want to pursue our hopes and dreams and help you pursue yours. We also care about our work team and we are very dedicated to maintaining a positive and upbeat work environment. If this sounds like a law firm you want to work at and a job you can do, we very much look forward to talking with you soon.

TO APPLY, WE NEED YOU TO FOLLOW A TWO-STEP PROCESS. If both steps are not correctly followed your application will not be considered. (Yes, we are serious about this. Following instructions is pretty important for a Firm Administrator who is supposed to help us streamline our operations and make sure everyone follows the rules.) Send an email to [email protected] and attach a PDF of your resumé and a cover letter. The letter should tell us why you would be great for this job. The subject line of the email should say: “Administrator rotartsinimda”.