Legal Assistant

Overview Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada's largest and most successful law firms, has an immediate opening for a Legal Assistant to join the Ottawa office. The successful candidate will provide administrative support to lawyers and assist with certain office administrative functions, including reception coverage when required. This role requires in-office presence five days a week.

Responsibilities

• Legal Support
• Managing lawyers’ email inboxes and calendars – booking appointments, setting up conference calls, monitoring email inbox and responding as required, and e-filing emails.
• Maintaining organized physical and electronic filing systems for legal documents and correspondence.
• Assisting with document preparation and production, including printing and binding materials for court filings and proceedings.
• Receiving, filing and retrieving documents with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and other courts as required, including the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Reviewing and finalizing pre-bills/accounts, monitoring fee estimates/budgets and quarterly reporting, and maintaining outside counsel guidelines and Accounts Receivable report prep and follow up.
• Updating client information in InterAction and updating lawyer profiles.
• Enter and close time dockets in Intapp Time.
• Arranging travel for lawyers, including car rentals, flights, hotels and conference registrations.
• Liaising with vendors and service providers as required.
• Preparing expense reports and general office expenses.
• Entering, monitoring and tracking lawyers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.
• Part-Time Reception and other administrative duties as required.
• Provide reception desk coverage as required, including greeting visitors and supporting general front desk operations, and providing extended coverage during receptionist vacation periods throughout the year.
• Ensure incoming and outgoing mail is handled appropriately, including daily post office pick-up and drop-off and coordinating overnight deliveries to and from the Toronto office.
• Issue access cards to Blakes premises to visiting Blakes lawyers.
• Coordinate boardroom setup for meetings, including ordering catering and arranging audio/visual equipment, conference calls, laptops and Polycom systems for visiting lawyers.

Education & Experience

• Minimum of two to five years of experience supporting legal professionals in a corporate or professional services environment.
• Legal assistant diploma or relevant equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
• Experience as a Litigation Assistant supporting litigation matters including drafting pleadings and preparing motion records, books of authorities and affidavits of service; arranging for filing of court documents; and schedule litigation-related matters, including booking examinations for discovery is an asset.

Skills & Abilities

• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, CMS and InterAction (ACL experience will be considered an asset).
• Strong communication, organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality when interacting with internal and external clients.

Compensation

The anticipated annual salary for the Legal Assistant, Litigation position is $60,000 - $75,000. Salary levels will be determined commensurate with internal equity, market equity and experience.

Other Relevant Applicant Information

Blakes welcomes applications from all qualified applicants. The Firm is committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment composed of people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, identities and cultures. The Firm provides accommodation for applicants with disabilities and in respect of other protected grounds during the recruitment process, in accordance with applicable laws. Please contact us to request accommodation. While our experienced team will select and interview successful candidates, Blakes may use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with shortlisting, screening and evaluating applications.

About Blakes

At Blakes, we care about our people. We are committed to providing exceptional experiences for our clients and employees. As a winner of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Greater Toronto’s Top Employers awards, we understand the importance of fostering an inclusive workplace environment that brings out the best in each person. Our success as a firm starts with hiring top talent, retaining our people and helping them thrive.