Sr. Paralegal – Litigation

Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell (“WTO”) was established in 1998 and currently numbers more than 100 lawyers. The firm represents sophisticated clients in high-stakes civil trials, appeals, and related litigation ranging from complex commercial to class actions to catastrophic torts. WTO lawyers have taken more than 1,100 trials and, arbitrations to verdict or award and hundreds of appeals to opinion in 45 states and Washington D.C., with exceptional results for our clients

Summary/Objective

The firm seeks candidates who are passionate about high-stakes litigation and trial work, dedicated to delivering exceptional client service, and are ready to effectively manage complex caseloads from start to finish.

Responsibilities:

• Organize and manage large volumes of documents.
• Develop, maintain, and refine processes for the initial review of incoming cases to integrate materials into standard firm systems.
• Assist with preparation of pleadings and discovery in federal and state court matters, and arbitration proceedings.
• Docketing litigation deadlines.
• Analyze, review, and organize documents and data from materials produced during discovery; prepare/coordinate document production and responses to discovery requests.
• Prepare cases for trial and attend as necessary.
• Finalize case briefs by performing thorough legal and factual cite checking, ensuring adherence to citation style (Bluebook), proofreading, and compiling relevant exhibits.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree is required or a combination of education, certifications, and demonstrable work experience. Additionally, a paralegal certificate is preferred.
• Requires a minimum of five years of experience managing all phases of complex litigation including going to trial.
• Expertise in cite checking and use of the Blue Book.
• Must also possess very strong organizational and interpersonal skills and have the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage workload with a positive attitude.
• Experience working with federal/state court litigation cases from inception through trial.
• Strong Communication & Analytical Skills.
• Experience in calendaring all deadlines and researching court specific rules.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time and workload efficiently, which includes recording all billable and non-billable time spent on case files and client matters.

Competencies

The following are competencies required to be successful in this position:

• Critical Thinker - The ability to gather relevant information, interpret and evaluate the data, and make informed decisions. Develop sound, practical solutions and make timely decisions; provide creative solutions to difficult issues.
• Effective Communicator (Written and Oral) - The ability to communicate clearly and coherently, interpreting information and adapting communication to suit particular situations and audience needs.
• Strong Interpersonal Skills - The ability to develop and maintain relationships with others, and to work with others toward a common goal by working cooperatively, developing positive relationships, and providing information and assistance willingly.
• Detail-Oriented - The ability to develop and apply comprehensive planning and organizing strategies to ensure projects are appropriately prioritized and resources are used effectively and efficiently.
• Proactive - The ability to see opportunities to make improvements and independently choose strategies to achieve them; envisions new and innovative possibilities and acts on them independently to achieve benefits. Ability to anticipate work needs and follow-up on own initiative.  Ability to accomplish responsibilities with minimum supervision and in a timely manner while communicating consistently and appropriately with the supervisor regarding projects being handled, problems incurred and recommended solutions.
• Manages Change - The ability to change directions quickly as workflow needs change, and to respond with flexibility to a changing work environment.
• Technical Skills/Learning - The ability to quickly learn and integrate new technical skills and knowledge; seeks out avenues to enhance technical skills.

Language Skills

• Must have good communications skills (i.e., communicate clearly and effectively in both written and spoken English)

Reasoning Skills

• Ability to interpret and to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form
• Uses the utmost discretion regarding sensitive company and employee information.
• Must be able to coordinate resources and responsibilities and be able to get along well   with others
• Must be able to develop a strong rapport with various department staff earning trust and respect

Work Environment

The team atmosphere is fostered not only by the lawyers, but by all members of the support staff. Our firm’s employees are proud of collaborating to service firm clients. Our commitment to teamwork allows us to tap multiple fields of experience from our range of practice areas, ensuring our ability to meet each client’s individual needs. Our team approach enables us to analyze a situation from several points of view until we uncover the advantage that makes the difference for our client.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

Regular hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including lunch hour. This is a full time position working from our Denver office. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the hourly pay rate when the employee works more than 40 hours in a Sunday through Saturday work week.

Travel

Travel is limited and primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel may be needed to attend conferences or other professional functions.

Salary Range: $70,000 – 90,000 annually. The final salary will be commensurate with education and experience. Additionally, the firm provides standard benefits including health insurance, 401(k) contribution, and paid time off, with annual bonus potential based on firm performance.

An Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the firm to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our firm. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factor