Legal Assistant

Department Law: Clinic - Staff About the Department The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind. Job Information Job Summary: The University of Chicago Law School’s Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic (Clinic) seeks a Legal Assistant to provide legal, administrative, and communications support to a group of Clinical Law Professors/attorneys and their law students. The Clinic teaches and trains law students to serve as advocates for people typically denied access to justice, provides legal assistance to clients in state and federal court, and works to reform the legal system and government policies. Responsibilities: Prepares and files legal documents in civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts and international tribunals, including electronic filings. Assists with civil and criminal discovery. Handles correspondence, coordinates meetings, and manages supervisors’ calendars. Organizes and maintains electronic and paper files and databases. Searches electronic dockets. Issues discovery and record requests. Drafts and coordinates production of public education materials, including blog posts, updates to website, and press releases. Conducts basic searches in and retrieves documents from legal databases such as Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law. Proofreads, copyedits, cite checks, and formats legal and policy documents. Organizes and coordinates logistics for workshops, conferences, and events, including an intensive trial practice workshop. Provides support for faculty teaching responsibilities, including but not limited to: uploading course materials to Canvas, our learning management system, conducting basic research, coordinating conference calls and individual/team meetings, and preparing recommendation letters. Prepares expense reimbursements, and tracks expenditures. Assists with preparation of grant applications, tracks grant expenditures, and assists with grant reporting. Develops marketing and promotional content regarding clinic activities. Coordinates and arranges travel. Other duties as assigned. Competencies: Superior computer, database, and Internet skills; including experience with Excel, Outlook/other email applications, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat. Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, writing, proofreading and formatting skills. Ability to work closely and effectively with multiple supervising attorneys and students. Ability to take ownership of projects, take initiative, and manage diverse tasks efficiently and independently. Ability to handle confidential information with absolute discretion. Strong work ethic, strong problem-solving skills, sound judgment. Efficiency, persistence, creativity, excellent attention to detail. Additional Responsibilities Education, Experience, or Certifications: Education: High School Diploma or GED required. Bachelor's Degree strongly preferred. Experience: Administrative assistant experience preferred. Experience working in a law-related context preferred. Experience with trial software, time-tracking applications and design software preferred. Technical Knowledge or Skills: Knowledge of general office procedures and practices. Ability to keep records; assemble and organize data and prepare and submit reports in acceptable formats. Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat and ability to navigate web-based systems. Ability to learn a range of position-related software applications. Working Conditions and Physical Requirements: Ability to bend, crouch, or stoop. Ability to carry or lift loads up to 49 lbs. Ability to sit for 8 hours or more. Ability to use computers extensively for 4 hours or more. Ability to stand for 4 to 8 hours. Flexibility to work in alternative areas as needed. Willingness to work occasional overtime hours to meet court filing deadlines. Pay Range: $23.77 - 31.60 per hour. Required Documents: Resume/CV Cover Letter When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application. Benefit Eligibility Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Pay Rate Type Hourly Pay Range $23.77 - $31.60 The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting. Scheduled Weekly Hours 37.5 Union 024- Local 743, I.B.T. Clerical Job is Exempt No Drug Test Required No Health Screen Required No Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No Posting Date 2025-07-01 Posting Statement The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637. The University of Chicago is an urban research university that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890. Our commitment to free and open inquiry draws inspired scholars to our global campuses, where ideas are born that challenge and change the world. We empower individuals to challenge conventional thinking in pursuit of original ideas. Students in the College develop critical, analytic, and writing skills in our rigorous, interdisciplinary core curriculum. Through graduate programs, students test their ideas with UChicago scholars, and become the next generation of leaders in academia, industry, nonprofits, and government. To learn more about the university click here http://www.uchicago.edu/

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