Legal Assistant (Litigation / Defense Litigation)

Gerber Ciano Kelly Brady LLP is seeking a Legal Assistant with 3 years of experience to join our team in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area. The Legal Assistant will provide advanced administrative and legal support across our firm’s footprint, ensuring the smooth operation of case management, document preparation, and client coordination.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong legal background, with significant experience supporting insurance defense and general defense litigation matters preferred, along with expertise in handling complex litigation support tasks, superior organizational skills, and a proactive approach to managing attorney schedules and case progress. Experience supporting matters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is required, with New York experience considered a plus but not required. This individual will demonstrate professionalism in client interactions, uphold strict confidentiality, and show agility in multi-tasking across high-volume, deadline-driven projects. A team-oriented mindset, coupled with the ability to work independently, will be key to succeeding in this role.

Overall Responsibilities:

• Provide comprehensive administrative and legal support, including drafting and preparing litigation documents such as correspondence, pleadings, discovery demands/responses, motions, subpoenas, and settlement documents.
• Support attorneys handling insurance defense, general liability, premises liability, motor vehicle, labor law, professional liability, and other defense litigation matters.
• Assist with electronic filing in State and Federal Courts, maintaining client confidentiality and secure document handling.
• Communicate with courts, clients, experts, opposing counsel, carriers, and co-counsel, keeping attorneys updated on case status and tracking deadlines.
• Manage attorney calendars, proactively handling scheduling, appearances, depositions, independent medical examinations, and coordinating with court reporters and interpreters as needed.
• Open and close files, ensuring organized and accessible documentation; scan, save, and file documents in the firm’s document management system.
• Perform data entry, process expense reports, check requests, and manage large mailings; assist with document formatting, proofreading, and editing to ensure clarity and accuracy.
• Transcribe dictation, type documents, and arrange travel accommodations as necessary.
• Record and securely store client information, assisting with attorney marketing tasks and supporting overflow work for other attorneys as needed.
• Collaborate on team projects, follow office workflow procedures for maximum efficiency, and perform general administrative and clerical duties as required.

Qualifications:

• 3 years of experience in litigation support required; insurance defense and/or defense litigation experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting matters involving insurance carriers, defense counsel, and high-volume litigation caseloads strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting matters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey required; New York experience a plus.
• Associate’s degree or higher preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Highly proficient with case management systems, document management systems, and other software applications.
• Knowledge of State and Federal Court E-Filing, including experience with Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS).
• Familiarity with preparing discovery, managing medical records, coordinating experts, and tracking litigation deadlines in insurance defense matters preferred.
• Proficient in multi-tasking, with strong attention to detail, excellent communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to anticipate schedules and deadlines, moving projects forward proactively.
• Exemplary planning, prioritizing, and time management skills.
• Able to work under deadlines and maintain flexibility to meet unforeseen demands; experience in a high-volume work environment is a plus.