WHAT DOES A LEGAL ASSISTANT DO?

Published: Jun 24, 2025 - The Legal Assistant drafts, reviews, and organizes documents for litigation, manages e-filing with various federal and local courts, and monitors court dockets and deadlines. This role involves coordinating scheduling for motions, court reporters, and depositions, and maintaining accurate calendars for both in-person and virtual proceedings. Additionally, the assistant handles correspondence with courts and opposing counsel, prepares exhibits, and arranges the delivery of legal documents to all relevant parties.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Legal Assistant

1. Legal Assistant Key Accountabilities

  • Licensing Support: Assist with corporate entity licensing, filing, and renewals
  • Legal Research: Perform legal research of statutes and regulations, and provide summaries
  • Contract Drafting: Draft and prepare contracts and agreements, and other legal documents
  • Cross-Departmental Support: Assist all operating groups within the Company’s organizational structure
  • Regulatory Filing: Prepare SEC filing for the parent company and other regulatory filings for licensed entities
  • Compliance Assistance: Assist with regulatory and compliance matters
  • Board Documentation: Handle quarterly, annual, and ad hoc Board work

2. Legal Assistant General Responsibilities

  • Task Coordination: Coordinating daily with the Probate Paralegal and at least weekly with the Probate Attorney, to prioritize and coordinate tasks for the day/week
  • File Creation: Creating physical files for each matter upon engagement, according to the firm’s established procedures
  • Case Management Updating: Updating the status of the matter in the Firm’s case management software (Actionstep)
  • Document Organization: Scanning and organizing notes and information received throughout the administration process
  • Task Assignment: Assigning tasks in the Firm’s case management software
  • Calendar Management: Updating the calendar to reflect upcoming deadlines
  • Data Entry: Gathering data from the death certificate and other sources, and entering it into the Firm’s case management software
  • Document Preparation: Printing and assembling documents for attorney review, client signings, and court filings
  • Mail Correspondence: Printing, signing, and sending templated letters in the mail
  • Document Filing: Scanning and filing documents
  • Mail Handling: Processing incoming mail and preparing outgoing mail
  • Client Communication: Contacting clients for missing information
  • Client Response: Returning messages to clients or callers relative to estate and trust administration

3. Legal Assistant Role Purpose

  • File Management: Maintain physical and electronic files.
  • Deadline Management: Manage calendar deadlines associated with federal and state rules of procedure, as well as internal deadlines and meetings.
  • Notebook Preparation: Prepare trial/hearing notebooks.
  • Client Intake: New client intake and opening new matters.
  • Document Handling: Take responsibility for scanning/filing documents.
  • Mail Processing: Processing and distributing mail.
  • Personal Assistance: Miscellaneous personal assistant duties.

4. Legal Assistant Essential Functions

  • Document Preparation: Examine, organize, and collect legal documents for case preparation and review.
  • Document Drafting: Proofread and draft legal documents using Microsoft Office.
  • Legal Research: Legal research, including regulations, laws, and legal articles, to assist with the preparation of reports, case files, and legal advice.
  • Client Coordination: Communicate with clients to schedule meetings, interviews, and depositions.
  • Document Management: Manage, organize, and maintain legal documents.
  • Administrative Support: Provide general administrative assistance, such as maintaining the attorney's calendar and making travel arrangements.

5. Legal Assistant Additional Details

  • Deadline Management: Tracking, recording and prioritizing deadlines and action items and ensuring follow-up in a professional and timely manner
  • Correspondence Support: Assisting with routine correspondence, documents and organizing files to make them available and easily accessible
  • Presentation Preparation: Drafting, editing and coordinating presentations, templates and materials with attention to grammar, spelling, and content accuracy.
  • Record Management: Managing corporate records, licenses, registrations and applications
  • Document Execution: Arranging the execution of agreements and other documents
  • Logistics Coordination: Arranging audio/visual requirements, conference calls, hotel and travel arrangements, catering and meeting logistics
  • Administrative Support: General administrative duties such as preparing expenses and invoices for payment

6. Legal Assistant Roles

  • Legal Support: Provide assistance and support in organisational, compliance and legal matters to one of the primary strategic private equity clients
  • Client Coordination: Report directly to an Account Manager and work closely with the client, external legal professionals, and the Citco support team
  • Task Management: Actively monitor and organize the multiple daily requests and ensure follow-up.
  • Administrative Tasks: Perform administrative tasks such as answering phone calls, communicating with prospects, updating clients, and responding to emails
  • Correspondence Management: Manage office correspondence, including the processing of IRS letters, meeting internal and external deadlines by assisting with the creation of various legal documents, and carrying out specified steps in case files, coordinating file progression
  • Meeting Scheduling: Schedule meetings and appointments for the team

7. Legal Assistant Tasks

  • Legal Administrative Support: Providing legal administrative support, including opening and closing files, docketing, and billing
  • File Maintenance: Maintaining wills and estate files both electronically and physically
  • Correspondence Drafting: Drafting correspondence both internally and externally
  • Calendar Management: Scheduling meetings, managing lawyers' calendars, appointments, due dates, and client-related activities
  • Client Support: Addressing clients' requests about Wills and Estate planning documents

8. Legal Assistant Details and Accountabilities

  • Contract Management: Prepare, update, and review contract records in the contract management database
  • Information Support: Support data information requests by lawyers and business teams, and respond to inquiries regarding contract obligations and revisions
  • Resource Preparation: Assist with the preparation and delivery of self-help tools, materials/resources such as tool kits, process and procedures documents, training materials, and guidelines
  • Corporate Administration: Assist with day-to-day corporate matters, including annual/periodic filings and registrations, drafting resolutions and various other types of corporate documentation, coordinating subsidiary board meetings, and supporting internal corporate restructurings and reorganizations
  • Clerk Support: Provide support/back-up to other law clerks
  • Information Assistance: Assist with information requests, corporate history matters, and other questions
  • Invoice Processing: Process legal invoices, prepare cheque requisitions, and expense reports

9. Legal Assistant Job Description

  • Real Estate Transactions: Independently perform all tasks related to the purchase or sale of residential and commercial real estate, including closing transactions, searches, requisitions, financing, and title insurance, reporting to the client and financial institution
  • Document Production: Produce Agreement of Purchase and Sale and/or Condominium documentation for project condominium sales
  • Registration Management: Accountable for Plan Document registrations and Condominium registrations
  • Trust Agreement Handling: Deposit Trust Agreements or deposit Facility arrangement
  • Correspondence Preparation: Dictation and correspondences (internally and externally)
  • File Management: Open and close files
  • Billing Support: Docketing and preparation of client accounts

10. Legal Assistant Accountabilities

  • Litigation Document Handling: Draft, review, and organize all documents required in a routine litigation matter, such as preparing pleadings, discovery, and motions
  • E-Filing: E-filing with the Federal Court, the Federal Appellate Court, the Federal Court of Claims, the Circuit Court of Cook County, DuPage County, Will County, and various state agencies ahead of deadlines
  • Docket Monitoring: Prepare notices and check the docket in various courts
  • Scheduling: Schedule motions, court reporters, and remote depositions, requiring familiarity with Zoom
  • Calendar Management: Calendar E-notices and both physical and virtual Zoom court dates in firm Outlook Calendar
  • Court Correspondence: Courtesy correspondence with the court and with opposing counsel
  • Exhibit Preparation: Prepare exhibits both physically and virtually through Dropbox
  • Legal Communication: Coordinate the mail, fax, or arrange delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials
Relevant Information
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