Bilingual Legal Executive Assistant — Litigation

Role Overview

• General support for lawyers/clients
• Manage the workflow of attorney support needs with access to emails (if delegated), calendar, files, deadlines and client-related activities to provide daily administrative support.
• Anticipate work requirements to effectively maximize lawyers’ time by managing priorities and workload.
• This includes adequate preparation for meetings, briefings on the daily/weekly schedule with required documentation and materials.
• Coordinate internal and client meetings, including preparing agendas, booking rooms and arranging any required catering or technology support.
• Handle attorneys’ travel arrangements and related logistics, including preparing itineraries in coordination with the firm’s travel resources and in accordance with firm and client travel policies.
• Provide ongoing backup support within the practice support team as needed; support the management of multiple tasks and competing deadlines and work proactively as a positive, productive team member.
• Prepare, edit, format, print, scan and proofread correspondence, memoranda, large transaction documents, reports, forms, labels and other printed materials by dictation, typed copy or other instructions, in accordance with requirements established by the practice group and supported as necessary by the Resource Centre.
• Proofread documents and verify proper formatting, spelling, grammar and clarity.
• Manage files, including: opening new files, maintaining large and complex files, developing, maintaining and using an organized filing and retrieval system to facilitate reference to historical paper or electronic documents, and organizing law and precedent files.
• Work with records management to create, maintain and store client files appropriately.
• Monitor emails, assess priorities, gather relevant information, take appropriate action and prepare responses.
• Review and route incoming mail and faxes; prepare and process outgoing mail and faxes; and arrange specialized courier or mail services when required.
• Receive, manage, screen and/or direct incoming calls according to attorneys’ instructions; respond to client inquiries and routine requests; and take messages as needed.
• Work collaboratively with the lawyer and billing assistants to ensure bills are reviewed and processed monthly in accordance with firm deadlines.
• Proactively monitor outstanding client invoices and work with lawyers and the collections team to follow up on overdue payments.
• Work with the finance department to coordinate new client and matter openings (KYC), including submitting conflict-check requests.
• Coordinate and organize meetings, conferences and on-site and off-site events.
• Attend training on new tools and take responsibility for training their lawyers one-on-one with in-person demonstrations.

Requirements

• Bilingual (French and English, spoken and written).
• College diploma or certificate in legal secretarial studies, or a university degree in business administration or a related field.
• Minimum of five years’ experience as a legal assistant, preferably gained in a professional services environment.
• Understanding of litigation legal practice.
• Intermediate to advanced skills with the Microsoft suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with other tools such as HiQ, iManage and Salesforce.
• Strong knowledge of legal and business terminology.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong word processing, spelling, proofreading and editing skills.
• Ability to complete tasks quickly and accurately.
• Strong critical thinking skills to plan, organize and proactively solve problems.
• Strong time-management skills, excellent organizational abilities, capacity to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize competing demands while delegating to other support resources when appropriate, and ability to work under pressure to meet critical deadlines.
• Provide a high level of service to clients (external) and colleagues (internal), demonstrating tact, respect and professionalism in all interactions.
• Ability to follow up on files and delays with minimal supervision.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality, and ability to handle highly confidential information.
• Flexibility to work additional hours when required.
• Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills.

Tech Stack

• Flux

Benefits

• Exceptional benefits from day one, including firm-paid insurance premiums and reimbursements for wellness, technology and ergonomic equipment.
• Comprehensive wellness support, including access to Dialogue for confidential mental health support, virtual healthcare services and proactive wellness resources.
• Competitive compensation, overtime pay and a generous time-off program, including a paid volunteer day and a paid birthday day off.
• Commitment to learning and development, with ongoing professional development opportunities for people at all levels.
• Strong community engagement and an ongoing commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A collaborative and supportive culture that values contribution, accountability and shared success across legal and administrative teams.