At Sanford Wittels & Heisler, our legal assistants are an integral part of our legal team. The legal assistants play a much larger, more substantive role than that of the typical paralegal at a law firm. Legal assistants spend the bulk of their time participating in our cases in a hands-on, substantive manner. Legal Assistants at SWH work closely with attorneys in all aspects of litigation, including completing factual investigations; drafting portions of memoranda, motions, affidavits, briefs, and correspondence; performing client intake interviews; managing case files; and preparing for and attending depositions, mediations, and court proceedings.
Because SWH legal assistants play such an active role in our work, we recruit from the top liberal arts colleges, Ivy League universities, and HBCUs. Our commitment to the enforcement of equal opportunity laws is reflected in our hiring practices, and we value diversity within our team. As a result, we strongly encourage minority candidates to apply for open positions.
We ask for a two year commitment from legal assistants. The legal assistant program at SWH is a wonderful opportunity for recent college graduates in transition between undergraduate and graduate or professional school. Recent legal assistants have gone on to law school, masters, and Ph.D. programs at top universities, including Stanford, Yale, Harvard, NYU, University of Chicago and Columbia.
To be eligible, applicants for the legal assistant position must have a Bachelor’s degree. Applicants should possess:
- a commitment to civil rights and an interest in litigation;
- strong academic credentials;
- excellent writing, proofreading and editing skills;
- fastidious organizational skills, with a particular ability to multi-task;
- excellent research and analytical capabilities, including a strong attention to detail;
- initiative and energy to see projects to completion;
- ability to work effectively in a team environment and to take direction from a range of individuals; and
- well-developed communication and interpersonal skills.
Please note that experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and Westlaw/Lexis Nexis is a plus.
We are not currently hiring legal assistants. However, please check back regularly to see if we have any positions available.