Job Description
Berliner Cohen is a dynamic, high-stakes civil litigation firm located in the heart of San Jose. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional advocacy for our clients in commercial litigation, employment law, real estate litigation, and appellate advocacy. We foster a collaborative, fast-paced environment where sharp legal minds and highly skilled support staff work as a cohesive team to achieve outstanding results.
Position Overview
We are seeking a sophisticated Litigation Specialist who bridges the gap between an elite Litigation Secretary and an analytical Paralegal. The ideal candidate possesses an understanding of California civil procedure, exceptional organizational instincts, and the capability to handle substantive litigation support. You will be the operational backbone of our trial attorneys, managing complex filings while actively assisting with case management, including organizing client documents, managing the processing of discovery, and helping prepare documents for motion filing and trial readiness.
Key Responsibilities
Litigation & Calendar Management (Secretarial Mastery)
- State & Federal Filing: State-court e-filing via TrueFiling/One Legal and federal e-filing via CM/ECF. Strict adherence to local rules for the Appellate District, all California Superior Courts, and District Courts of California.
- Document Formatting: Structure, format, and generate tables of contents and authorities (TOC/TOA) for complex legal memoranda, motions, and appellate briefs.
- Communication: Working with the clients on deadlines, responding to attorney communications, and managing multiple calendars.
Substantive Case Support (Paralegal Capabilities)
- Discovery Coordination: Draft basic discovery requests and responses; help format, bates-stamp, and organize document productions; manage index logs and materials with lawyers and paralegals.
- Pleadings & Motions: Assist in drafting routine notices, stipulations, proposed orders, and gathering exhibits.
- Trial & Deposition Prep: Aiding legal professionals with compiling deposition exhibits, coordinate witness logistics, assemble trial notebooks, and assist with exhibit lists.
Qualifications & Skills
- Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of progressive civil litigation experience in California. Experience in a fast-paced defense or plaintiff-side firm is highly valued.
- Procedural Expertise: Thorough, working knowledge of the California Code of Civil Procedure, California Rules of Court, and Superior Court Local Rules.
- Technical Proficiency: Mastery of Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook), Adobe Acrobat Pro. NetDOCS a plus. Experience with TOC/TOA generation tools is also a benefit.
- Soft Skills: Exceptional attention to detail, strong proofreading skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to maintain composure under tight litigation deadlines.
The candidate must be willing to work out of our San Jose office (no remote work available).
The successful candidate's hourly rate for this position is $52 to $62 an hour, reasonably expected to be set within this range; however, actual compensation will depend on a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the candidate's qualifications and experience. The listed range is for someone with at least 5 years of experience supporting litigation attorneys.
Berliner Cohen is an Equal Opportunity Employer.