Practice Assistant 1 - Ogletree Deakins

The Milwaukee office of Ogletree Deakins, a premier, global labor and employment law firm representing management in all types of employment-related matters, has an exciting full-time opportunity for a Legal Practice Assistant to join its growing office.  We offer a collegial, collaborative, challenging, and growth-focused work environment with innovative technology, customized resources and processes, and continuous skill-based training and professional development.

Voted as Milwaukee’s Coolest Office Space and Best Places to Work, Ogletree Deakins is located in the historic Pabst Boiler House in the progressive Brewery District, minutes from the Deer District and Fiserv Forum, with coffee shops and dining establishments within walking distance.   We also provide paid on-site parking, a spacious work environment, employee discounts at a wide variety of vendors, and opportunities to participate in community-based, philanthropic events.

Working under the direction of attorneys to whom the Legal Practice Assistant is assigned, this individual has an integral role in delivering high-quality client and attorney support by providing administrative and legal assistance to attorneys, performing complex and specialized legal support and clerical tasks, and working collaboratively and cooperatively with others in a team-oriented environment. This position supports multiple attorneys as primary assignments and provides back-up assistance to other attorneys as assigned. Seeking a self-starter with excellent critical thinking, problem-solving, organizational, administrative, and prioritization skills who can anticipate and plan for the business needs of our attorneys.  

• Provide professional administrative support to multiple attorneys to assist them in meeting client deliverables.
• Prepare client intake forms, initiate conflict checks, prepare engagement letters, and open new files.
• Create, edit, format, revise and redline documents; compose routine correspondence and accurately proofread court filings and other legal and non-legal documents, including client status reports; perform blacklining and redlining; create table of contents and table of authorities.  Utilize cutting-edge technology to prepare drafts of answers and discovery documents.
• Organize, compile and prepare case documents and exhibits for e-filing with courts, government agencies and attorneys.
• Proactively maintain an overview of attorney workload and clients/matters, accurately maintain calendars and dockets.
• Assist with the billing process, including review/edit of proformas and resolution of billing issues.
• Maintain electronic files using a document management system and identify files to be closed.
• Coordinate travel, meeting and presentation arrangements; compile and submit expenses for reimbursement; track attorney CLE credits for reporting.
• Support the attorney’s business development, marketing and professional activities to secure new clients.

• Excellent technology, keyboarding skills, and competency in Microsoft Office, including   Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. 
• Ability to learn and embrace new skills, technology, and best practices with an always-willing, can-do attitude. Strong oral and written language and communication skills, including excellent spelling, grammar, punctuation, proofreading, form and style; ability to collaborate smoothly with external and internal clients and other firm departments.
• Ability to exercise professional judgment to assess priorities, respond appropriately to inquiries, troubleshoot problems and identify solutions, escalate issues when appropriate, and seek clarification and direction in a timely and thoughtful manner.  Accuracy in document preparation, calendaring, and communication is essential.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, including the ability to initiate, organize, and prioritize work tasks, which may have competing deadlines, perform multiple tasks simultaneously, and demonstrate flexibility and initiative to ensure tasks are completed.
• Must be detail-oriented and proactive, able to identify action items, and implement follow-up procedures to ensure tasks are managed and carried through to completion.
• Teamwork – must be willing and able to help others and share knowledge and skills.
• Prior administrative support and/or experience in the legal field and knowledge of federal and local rules and experience in e-filing in administrative agency and state and federal courts is preferred.  Knowledge of labor and employment law and removals is a plus.

Please note, we are not working with outside recruiters for this position

Ogletree Deakins offers a robust suite of benefits for our Staff including: Paid Time Off, Sick Time, a 401(k) matching program, Profit Sharing, Paid Holidays, Paid Parental Leave, affordable Health and Life Insurance including Dental & Vision coverage, Health Savings Account /Flexible Spending Accounts to help offset the cost of dependent care and/or health care expenses, Teladoc (24/7 access to a doctor by phone or online video), Tuition Reimbursement and an Employee Assistance Program.

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. Best Law Firms® has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 13 consecutive years. In the 2024 edition, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law - Management category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 950 attorneys located in 55 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S.

We are fully committed to the importance of diversity within the legal profession, as well as all workplace environments and strongly encourage the interest of diverse candidates in the firm.

Equal Opportunity Employer.