Part-Time Legal Administrative Coordinator – Intake & Client Relations

ABOUT OUR FIRM AND THE POSITION

This is a part-time, client-facing administrative coordination role for a small estate planning and estate administration law firm. The role requires careful reading, accurate written communication, calendar judgment, organized follow-through, confidentiality, and the ability to manage a busy, fluid workday without constant interruption of the attorney.

• To be considered, please include a brief note with your resume that you are seeking a long-term part-time administrative role and describing your experience with confidential client communications, scheduling, and file notes.

This is not an attorney-track, law clerk, legal research, paralegal drafting, or courtroom role. The person hired will not provide legal advice, analyze legal issues, draft legal instruments or pleadings, or perform attorney-level work. This role is not a fit for someone primarily seeking a legal-learning position, attorney mentorship, bar-admission pathway, substantive legal training, or frequent attorney access throughout the day. The firm provides systems, templates, checklists, and training, and questions are expected when something is unclear, sensitive, urgent, or outside the established process. At the same time, the role requires independent administrative follow-through, careful use of written procedures, and good judgment about when to proceed, when to document, when to compile non-urgent questions for attorney review, and when to interrupt because a matter requires immediate attorney attention.

• This role is best suited for someone seeking a stable, long-term part-time position and who is not looking for full-time hours and enjoys administrative structure, client service, scheduling, and follow-through more than legal research or substantive legal work..

This position serves as the firm’s front-door and workflow support person. This role is responsible for handling prospective client inquiries, scheduling consultations and client meetings, maintaining accurate query and client records, coordinating signing logistics, tracking follow-up items, and escalating issues that require attorney attention.

The successful candidate will be comfortable taking notes, following written procedures, using templates, keeping accurate file notes, compiling non-urgent questions, and escalating urgent or sensitive issues promptly.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Client Intake and Relations

• Respond to prospective client inquiries using approved firm templates and procedures.
• Coordinate client meetings.
• Use approved communication templates and adapt carefully when needed.
• Communicate with clients and prospective clients in a professional, warm, and clear tone.
• Maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries at all times.
• Protect the attorney’s calendar by checking for conflicts and required buffers.
• Coordinate logistics for signing conferences.
• Promptly notify attorney of scheduling issues or client concerns.
• Identify the nature of each inquiry, including matters outside the firm’s scope.
• Maintain accurate query records.
• Consultation management including scheduling and tracking and following-up as needed.
• Escalate urgent, unclear, sensitive, or out-of-scope inquiries to the attorney.

Legal Operations Support

• Maintain matter and query information in practice management systems.
• Track matter stages, client follow-up items, signing logistics, and outstanding client actions.
• Support probate and estate administration workflow tracking, including hearing/status reports.
• Enter time accurately and daily, including administrative and nonbillable time.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Prior experience in a law office, professional services office, or significant high-trust client-facing administrative role.
• Strong reading comprehension and ability to follow written instructions carefully.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Comfort using practice management systems, calendars, email, and client portals.
• Professional judgment, confidentiality, and discretion.
• Ability to work independently within clear procedures.

Preferred

• Experience with Clio Manage or similar legal practice management software.
• Experience in client-sensitive practice area or services.
• Experience coordinating meetings, appointments, court-related deadlines, or professional calendars.
• Experience working in a solo or small-firm environment.

Important Fit Factors

This role requires someone who can:

• Ask questions before making assumptions;
• Maintain accurate records;
• Demonstrate and use appropriate judgment with client issues
• Communicate with clients in a calm, warm, and professional manner;
• Manage sensitive family and legal matters with care;
• Complete routine work without constant prompting;
• Understand that accuracy is more important than speed.

This position is not a good fit for someone who prefers a narrow task queue without client contact, is uncomfortable asking clarifying questions, or is seeking full-time employment.

Training will be provided on firm-specific procedures, but applicants should be comfortable learning and using office technology.

Professional agencies and recruiters, please do not contact us.

Pay: $27.00 - $32.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid sick time

Application Question(s):

• This is a long-term part-time administrative role of approximately 20–25 hours per week and is not intended to become full-time or attorney-track. Does that fit what you are seeking?
• How many years of high-trust administrative experience do you have in a law office, financial services office, medical office, accounting/tax office, trust/estate office, or other confidential professional-services setting?
• This role requires managing a busy and fluid workday. Briefly describe how you keep yourself organized when priorities change during the day.
• Briefly describe a time you escalated an issue rather than proceeding on your own.
• This role requires taking notes, documenting client/matter updates, and leaving clear status notes. Briefly describe your experience doing that.
• This role requires batching non-urgent questions and interrupting the attorney only for urgent, client-sensitive, court/deadline, signing, or unclear-risk issues. Are you comfortable working that way? Please briefly explain.

Experience:

• high-end administrative: 7 years (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60611

Salary : $27 - $32