Litigation Practice Assistant

Join Orrick's award-winning Team Support team and play a hands-on role in reshaping how legal services are delivered. Orrick has been ranked among the world's Top 20 Most Innovative Law Firms by the Financial Times for 20 consecutive years and is consistently recognized as a leader in legal technology and innovation, including placement in Vault's Top 10 for Tech & Innovation.

This role sits within Team Support in our San Francisco office, a team recently recognized by the Financial Times for Innovation in People Strategy-highlighting the firm's reimagined approach to legal support, talent models, and operational excellence.

As a Litigation Practice Assistant, you will work directly with attorneys and operations leaders to provide high-impact administrative, operational, and legal practice support while helping modernize how legal support services function at scale. You'll gain hands-on experience with emerging technologies, earn digital fluency certifications, and receive structured training in AI, automation, and legal operations. This is a rare opportunity to be embedded in a team that is actively redefining legal support-offering real responsibility, steep learning, and exposure to both the business and practice sides of a top-tier global law firm.

The Practice Assistant will provide comprehensive administrative and litigation support to a busy team of trial attorneys in a collaborative team environment, ensuring the efficient management of a high-volume caseload from inception through trial and post-trial proceedings. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced litigation practice and is committed to delivering high-quality work product.

General Support:

• Act as a trusted operational partner to assigned attorneys, managing priorities, workflows, and day-to-day execution on their behalf.
• Manage complex calendars, including scheduling meetings and travel arrangements across multiple time zones, with a focus on prioritization and sequencing of work.
• Prepare and coordinate logistics for meetings and events, including agenda creation, materials preparation, and follow-up actions.
• Draft, proofread, and edit correspondence, presentations, and reports, often synthesizing information into executive-level summaries and briefs.
• Conduct research and prepare background materials to support legal, client, and internal initiatives.
• Plan and run small to medium events, team meetings, and external engagements.
• Exercise sound judgment in communications and decision-making, escalating thoughtfully and acting independently where appropriate.
• Ensure assigned attorneys' practices and workflows run smoothly.
• Liaise with Billing, IT, HR, New Business & Conflicts, and other firm departments, often serving as the primary point of coordination.

Litigation Experience:

• Communicate effectively and professionally with clients, attorneys, co-counsel, opposing counsel, courts, and staff via email, telephone, and in person; answer telephone calls, respond to routine inquiries, and route calls to the appropriate attorney or staff member; arrange conference calls and greet clients.
• Organize and maintain case files, ensuring all documents are properly saved to the document management system for easy access and retrieval.
• Calendar all deadlines, hearings, and court appearances, and monitor compliance with applicable rules of civil procedure and court-imposed deadlines.
• Draft, proofread, format, and edit legal correspondence, pleadings, motions, discovery documents, and other court filings under the supervision of the assigned attorney(s).
• File documents with state and federal courts, including via electronic filing systems such as CM/ECF and state e-filing platforms.
• Coordinate and communicate with courts, opposing counsel, co-counsel, clients, and witnesses to facilitate the smooth progression of cases.
• Prepare trial materials, including exhibit binders, witness files, and demonstrative aids, and support attorneys during trial as needed.
• Schedule meetings, depositions, hearings, and other appointments as determined by the attorney(s).
• Strong knowledge of litigation practices and procedures, including motions, discovery, evidence, and litigation documentation.
• Knowledge of court systems, court rules, procedures, and deadlines, including where to find Local Rules of Court and Judge's Standing Orders.
• Expertise with PACER and other electronic filing systems in state and federal courts and administrative agencies.
• Experience with docketing and calendaring of all case events and filing deadlines using a centralized docketing system or software.
• Experience processing summonses, subpoenas, and discovery requests.
• Experience preparing legal documents, including pleadings, discovery, document production materials, and memoranda.
• Experience with Bates labeling and redacting documents for trial preparation.

Billing & Financial Coordination:

• Manage end-to-end client billing processes for assigned attorneys, ensuring accuracy and timely completion.
• Prepare reports, track spend, and assist with billing follow-up, building familiarity with matter economics and client financial requirements.

Digital Fluency & Technology Coaching:

• Serve as a digital fluency expert and coach for attorneys and peers, mastering firm technology and training others on tools such as Microsoft 365, Copilot, PowerAutomate, PowerBI, and emerging AI/automation platforms.
• Troubleshoot technology issues and collaborate with IT and support teams to enhance workflows.
• Stay current on new technologies and recommend solutions to improve efficiency.

Project Management & Process Improvement:

• Participate in firm initiatives and special projects, contributing to process improvements and adoption of new technologies.
• Coordinate and track ongoing workstreams and projects, ensuring deliverables and deadlines are met, owning follow-through and deadline management.

Continuous Learning & Team Collaboration:

• Promote a teaming culture, assist colleagues during peak workloads, and contribute to a supportive work environment.
• Actively participate in team meetings and professional development opportunities.

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 3 years of experience as a litigation legal assistant in a law firm.
• At least 3 years of civil litigation calendaring and court filing experience.
• Knowledge of e-filing in State Courts, Federal, and Appellate Courts required.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills; proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under tight deadlines.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365; ability to quickly master new tools and technologies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to produce concise, high-quality deliverables.
• Independently manages workload, meets deadlines, and exercises sound judgment in prioritizing urgent vs. non-urgent matters.
• Responds with urgency and effectiveness in fast-paced, high-stakes situations - solving problems decisively while seeking guidance when appropriate.
• Consistently demonstrates professionalism, discretion, and composure under pressure.
• Ability to work in the office at least three days a week, and the ability to work overtime when required.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years experience mentoring others.
• Operations management, business operations, or executive office support experience.
• Experience with GenAI (ChatGPT, Copilot), Power BI, or other automation/data analytics platforms.
• Analytical mindset and ability to interpret data.
• Track record of full project ownership with exceptional follow-through and attention to detail.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented, and adaptable.

Who is Orrick? Orrick is a global law firm focused on delivering innovative solutions for four sectors: Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance and Life Sciences & HealthTech. Founded more than 150 years ago in San Francisco, Orrick today has offices in 25+ markets. We are recognized globally for delivering the highest-quality legal advice and for our culture of innovation and collaboration.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected salary range for this position is $84,000 - $112,000.

Orrick is committed to providing a comprehensive, competitive, and thoughtful total compensation package to our attorneys and staff, wherever they work. This compensation and benefits information is based on the Orrick's estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. The level of pay within the range will depend on a variety of job-related factors that may include, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant experience or education, particular skills or expertise, geography. Other compensation may include an annual discretionary merit bonus, which would be determined by Firm and individual performance.

We offer a full range of elective health benefits including medical, dental, vision and life; robust mental well-being programs; child, family, elder, and pet care benefits; short- and long-term disability and industry leading parental leave benefits, health savings account contributions (w/applicable medical plan), flexible spending accounts, and a 401K program. This role will receive compensated time off through our Paid Time Off program and paid holidays.

Please visit www.orrick.com for more information about the firm.

How to Apply: If you are searching for a chance to create an impact, you have a little grit and you love working with a team, we want to talk with you. To submit your resume and cover letter for this position, please visit our Staff and Paralegal Opportunities Listings at www.orrick.com/Careers. Orrick accepts applications for this position on an ongoing basis, until filled.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Consistent with the SF Fair Chance Ordinance, an arrest and conviction record will not automatically disqualify a qualified applicant from consideration.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for the position in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

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