Commercial Litigation Paralegal

**Company**

One of South Africa’s oldest and most respected law firms that has provided over 90 years of expert legal advice and services to corporate and individual clients is recruiting for a junior litigation secretary in its Pretoria branch. Clients choose to partner with this firm because they draw on extensive experience and offer a forward-thinking approach aligned with clients’ unique legal and operational needs.

**Job Purpose**

The primary job of the Junior Litigation Secretary is to support the Attorneys in one of the general litigation departments by performing all integral administrative and organisational duties or functions usually associated with, or required in a commercial litigation department and ensuring the office runs smoothly.

You would comply with internal policies, open files on the Lexpro bookkeeping system, print, sort and file documents and incoming correspondences, draw and diarise files, attend to dictaphone and general typing, communicate with clients, legal practitioners, sheriffs, counsel and court officials, draft legal documents, letters, fee notes, provisions, EFT’s and bills of costs, attend to the indexing and pagination of court papers, copying and scanning of documents, preparations of briefs and witness bundles, populating and rendering of reports, and the dismantling and closure of files.

In addition, you would also attend to Windeed searches, organising and mending of files, work with purpose and pride, even under pressure, focus on detail and obtain guidance on priorities and processes to co-ordinate logistics, complete tasks timeously and render exceptional client service, communicate and manage schedules, book appointments and run the general administration in the department.

**Job Duties**
- Provide secretarial and administrative support to Attorneys in commercia/litigation department.
- Ensure the correspondences and documents are accurately scanned, printed, sorted, filed and brought to the attention of the Attorneys concerned.
- Diarise, draw and mend files and keep organised according to system.
- Greet visitors, answer phones and convey messages.
- Schedule and set up appointments, client meetings and virtual meetings, court hearings or appearances.
- Manage the schedules of the attorneys working in the department.
- Transcribe and proofread legal documents and pleadings.
- Type letters, affidavits, pleadings, bills of costs, legal opinions and documents.
- Take responsibility for diarizing of files, indexing and pagination of court papers.
- Complete dictaphone typing speedily and accurately.
- Print and file documents and correspondences and keep track of files.
- Debit fees, generate or process invoices and bill clients.
- Ensure the office runs smoothly.
- Perform accurate compilation and analysis of various documents and cases (where applicable).
- Open files, comply with FICA requirements and internal policies, create and organise general resources for use by the department.
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to receive information for cases or clients.

**Qualifications**
- Grade 12 is essential
- Legal Secretarial N4 - N6 Courses, or a National Diploma is an advantage
- Full proficiency and ability to utilise and operate all suites of Microsoft Office

**Experience**
- 2 to 3 years’ experience working in commercial litigation department/s
- Administrative experience within a commercial litigation department
- Experience in general litigation processes and protocols
- Dictaphone typing
- Experience working with court systems such as Court Online/CaseLines
- Exposure to the legal system and legal terminology
- Formatting and compilation of pleadings, affidavits, memoranda, correspondences
- Preparation and formatting of bills of costs
- Experience and skills with Lexpro System

**Skills and Knowledge**
- Excellent Microsoft Office skills
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Accurate Dictaphone Typing with speed above 60 words per minute
- Preparation and compilation of pleadings, affidavits, correspondences and bills of costs
- Opening of files and debiting of fees on Lexpro System

**Competencies**
- Dedicated and Reliable
- Ethical and Honest
- Healthy and Energetic
- Focussed
- Organised
- Strong administrative, planning and organizational skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Task orientated
- Teamwork
- Initiative
- Customer Focus

**Salary**: R12,000.00 - R15,000.00 per month

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Pretoria, Gauteng: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (required)

**Education**:

- Diploma (required)

**Experience**:

- Dictaphone Typing with speed above 60 words per minute: 3 years (required)
- Lexpro System: 2 years (required)
- commercial litigation department: 2 years (required)