Immigration Legal Practice Assistant

Our Columbia office has an opportunity for an experienced Legal Practice Assistant to join the firm’s expanding Immigration Practice Group. The Practice Assistant supports the delivery of quality legal services to clients by providing secretarial and administrative assistance to attorneys, performing complex and specialized secretarial and clerical tasks, and working collaboratively and cooperatively with others in a team-oriented environment. This position supports multiple attorneys as primary assignments and also provides back-up secretarial assistance to other attorneys as assigned.

Office Perks:

The Columbia office is located in the up and coming BullStreet District. When you join Ogletree, you will work alongside individuals who are among the best in the business at what they do. We attract highly skilled, dedicated professionals who enjoy working across practices and executing innovative ideas. We have a profound passion for our work and care deeply about delivering results for our clients and for each other.

Successful job applicants will be able to perform these functions with or without reasonable accommodations:

• Preparing Documents: Using word processing and document management software, the Practice Assistant processes correspondence and memoranda as well as complex legal documents according to the requirements set by each practice group.
• Processes Mail: Reviews and routes incoming mail and fax communications. Prepares and processes outgoing mail and faxes, arranging for specialized mail or messenger services as required.
• Maintains Calendar: Maintains and updates the calendars for assigned attorneys, including meetings, appointments, due dates, and client-related activities.
• Maintains Files: Sets up, organizes, and maintains paper and electronic files in compliance with internal policies.
• Timekeeping, Expense Reporting, Billing: Prepares expense reimbursement and disbursement requests. Assists attorneys with review of pre-bills / invoices. Prepares billing letters and coordinates client billing matters with the Billing Department in Greenville.
• Client Interaction: Answers phone calls, assists attorneys with scheduling conference calls, and monitors email traffic from clients for urgent matters.
• Provides General Administrative Support.

• 2+ years of experience as a practice assistant or legal secretary
• Accurate typing of at least 70 words per minute
• Strong computer proficiency in the use of MS Office, document management, time entry, e-filing and database software
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
• Understanding of correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Strong proofreading skills
• Superior organizational skills including filing, calendaring, and proofreading
• Time management skills and ability to work independently as well as with a team
• Regular predictable attendance
• Strong client service orientation

Ogletree Deakins offers a robust suite of benefits for our Staff including: Paid Time Off, Sick Time, a 401(k) matching program, Profit Sharing, Paid Holidays, Paid Parental Leave, affordable Health and Life Insurance including Dental & Vision coverage, Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Accounts to help offset the cost of dependent care and/or health care expenses, Teladoc (24/7 access to a doctor by phone or online video), Tuition Reimbursement and an Employee Assistance Program.

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 10 consecutive years. For 2021, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor & Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 900 attorneys located in 53 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.

We are fully committed to the importance of diversity within the legal profession, as well as all workplace environments and strongly encourage the interest of diverse candidates in the firm.

Equal Opportunity Employer.