Paralegal | Public Labor and Employment

Salary Range Target: $80,000 -$95,000 Base Salary

Company Background

A prominent California-based law firm with a strong legacy and multiple offices across the state. For several decades, it has provided full-spectrum legal counsel to a diverse mix of public agencies and private organizations. The firm’s core practice areas include labor and employment law, education law, construction matters, and complex litigation. Known for its deep institutional knowledge and long-standing client relationships, the firm is a trusted legal partner for both government entities and corporate clients alike.

Job Description

This reputable Law Firm is seeking a Paralegal for Public Labor and Employment to join their litigation team.

Responsibilities:

• Manage assigned cases, including all related tasks and projects throughout the litigation lifecycle.
• Perform comprehensive litigation support from case initiation through discovery, trial, post-trial, and case closure.
• Conduct background investigations on all relevant parties, including clients when necessary (e.g., criminal, litigation, bankruptcy, social media).
• Draft and submit Public Records Act (PRA) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
• Assist in all aspects of discovery, including drafting requests, preparing responses, coordinating document production, and maintaining organized case files.
• Locate and investigate witnesses for deposition or trial testimony.
• Prepare deposition subpoenas and notices to consumers for business records; coordinate service of process.
• Review and summarize discovery responses (e.g., form/special interrogatories, RFPs).
• Draft meet-and-confer correspondence as needed and monitor deadlines for motions to compel.
• Attend depositions, document reviews, and productions when required.
• Track and organize incoming subpoenaed records; maintain production logs.
• Prepare and serve deposition notices and subpoenas; compile and mark exhibits for use in depositions.
• Summarize deposition transcripts and index exhibits for trial preparation.
• Identify and engage expert witnesses; coordinate document exchange, obtain CVs and fee schedules.
• Prepare and respond to expert witness exchange demands.
• Review and summarize subpoenaed medical records.
• Assist in preparing trial documents, including witness and exhibit lists, jury instructions, subpoenas, and attorney-requested materials.
• Schedule meetings with witnesses and clients; manage witness files and folders throughout litigation.
• Create and maintain trial binders and exhibit sets; draft legal documents such as declarations and separate statements for summary judgment motions.
• Build and update CaseMap databases with witness data, pleadings, discovery, and events; link documents and coordinate with IT Litigation Support.
• Upload client documents into Eclipse (IPro), prepare for review, apply bate stamping, and coordinate with IT Litigation Support.
• Maintain centralized databases of all discovery, transcripts, and expert witness materials for attorney access.
• Provide logistical and technical support at trial, including war-room setup and AV coordination.
• Collaborate with vendors and IT teams on scanning, coding, and e-discovery procedures; maintain strong vendor relationships.

Litigation PreDiscovery Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the IT Litigation Support Paralegal in the PELE department to create and manage case databases for storing scanned documents, imported images, and electronic discovery (eDiscovery) files.
• Assist in reviewing and processing electronic discovery using Eclipse (IPro), including extraction of emails, attachments, metadata, and text.
• Coordinate with IT Litigation Support to assign custodians to documents at the batch or source level.
• Perform global and custodian-level de-duplication of files to streamline data sets.
• Convert native files to PDF format or prepare hard copies as needed.
• Review and cull records using grid displays, filters, and tagging fields to identify relevant documents.
• Initiate batch processing tasks, including Bates numbering, endorsing, OCR conversion, and document printing.
• Conduct supplemental field coding beyond default EDLoader fields to enhance searchability and document organization.
• Export native files, images, coded metadata, and extracted text for use in preferred litigation support platforms.

Key Processes in LAW or Comparable e-Discovery Software:

Case Setup:

• Initiate and configure case databases within LAW to organize and manage incoming documents. This foundational step prepares the environment for subsequent data processing and review.

Document Acquisition:

• Collaborate with IT Litigation Support to process and import documents from various media sources (CD, DVD, flash drives). Tasks include converting hard copy files to electronic format, importing existing image files from external sources, and loading electronically stored information (ESI) into the case database for review and processing.

Quality Control, Review, and Culling:

• Conduct initial quality control checks for errors, warnings, questionable file extensions, and duplicate files. Use advanced tools to filter, search, and tag documents based on relevance and project requirements.

Batch Processing:

• Perform high-volume document processing in batches, including Bates numbering, image cleanup, file format conversions, endorsements, native file printing, and OCR (Optical Character Recognition). Processes are executed according to the scope and specifications of each case.

Data Export:

• Export processed data—including native files, images, coded fields, and text—for integration with other litigation support platforms such as Summation or Concordance.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Accurately enter, complete, and release billable time entries on a daily basis.
• Consistently meet established billable hour requirements.
• Proactively engage with assigned attorneys to identify and take on additional casework when needed.