Job Summary

Fulfills a variety of responsibilities to keep the Augusta office running smoothly, including office coordination and legal administrative support for the Government Relations Practice Group. Maintains positive contact with clients and co-workers; observes confidentiality in all client and firm-related matters.

Position is based in the Augusta office (Tuesday-Thursday) with opportunity to work in Portland office (Monday/Friday).

Responsibilities

• Track legislative documents (bills) as they go through the legislative process, updating legislative database (Access); run reports weekly and send to clients and attorneys.
• Check the Secretary of State Rulemaking Notices weekly; flag for clients of interest.
• Listen in on public hearings and work sessions and take notes as needed.
• Hand deliver documents to the lobbyists at the State House when needed.
• Assist attorneys in time entry and billing; work closely with accounting to ensure invoices are properly processed.
• Assist in preparing legislative testimony and regulatory comments, and assembling materials.
• Stay up-to-date on lobby disclosure reporting timeframes, procedures, and processes. This includes calculating lobbying time and filing monthly lobbying reports for the attorneys.
• Maintain calendars for government relations professionals, including events, meetings, and appointments. Make travel and lodging arrangements.
• Renew annual attorney memberships with the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar and the Maine State Bar Association. Renew lobbyist State House passes bi-annually.
• Oversee the overall administration of the Augusta office (e.g., communicating with building management and cleaning company for office needs, purchasing office supplies, coordinating with IT Department for office equipment issues).
• Process library materials, including filing newspapers, news releases, and books.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Minimum of three years’ experience providing administrative support.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience within a legislative advocacy workplace, or experience within legislative or regulatory agencies a plus.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Technical proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Access database skills are a plus.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to Maria Gaetani at mgaetani@pierceatwood.com.

Job Summary

Provides legal administrative support for the Business Practice Group. Maintains positive contact with clients and coworkers; observes confidentiality in all client and firm-related matters.  Position is based in the Portland, Maine office. 

Responsibilities

• Proofread and edit documents for grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors.  Finalize and distribute to clients, attorneys, and staff. Ensure deadlines are anticipated and met.
• Track and assist with completing documentary and administrative matters to be completed in connection with transactional matters; prepare and compile closing binders in connection with transactional matters.
• Receive, screen, and route incoming telephone calls, conference calls, and messages to attorneys, clients, and staff promptly. Assist callers as appropriate in attorney’s absence. 
• Sort, scan, distribute, and file incoming and outgoing mail promptly upon receipt several times a day.  Open and review materials as directed.
• Edit correspondence, documents, memoranda, and project work in the production of legal documents. Compose routine correspondence for attorney signature.
• Coordinate conferences, meetings, and appointments for attorneys and clients including conference room scheduling, meals, beverages, preparation of materials, and greeting clients. Coordinate seminar registration and travel arrangements securing air, hotel, and car reservations for attorney and clients.
• Track compliance with continuing legal education requirements and report same to appropriate authorities.
• Maintain calendar of meetings and business trips, apprising attorney of responsibilities in advance of commitment.
• Review, edit, and finalize bills to ensure accuracy of input.
• Coordinate preliminary conflict checks through the automated system to ensure attorney and firm ability to represent potential client.
• Set up, organize, and maintain firm files. Read and review material to be filed, file documents in proper files, and retrieve documents and files when requested. 
• Coordinate mass mailings, including filings with state and federal courts.
• Perform a variety of administrative functions including processing new matter reports, preparing expense reports, updating closing binders, etc.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Three to five years relevant law firm experience.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Ability to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism and interpersonal skills, including, maintaining positive contact with clients, attorneys and coworkers.
• Demonstrated ability to be a team player. A can-do attitude.
• Strong problem solving skills.
• Ability to anticipate needs of attorneys and paralegals.
• Strong technical aptitude. Intermediate Microsoft Word skills required.  Advanced Microsoft Word skills preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and databases.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to Susan van Vollenhoven at svanvollenhoven@pierceatwood.com.