Legal Assistant

Job Description

McCarthy Tétrault is a leading Canadian law firm offering a full suite of legal and business solutions to clients in Canada and around the world. With offices in Toronto, Montréal, Québec City, Calgary and Vancouver, we provide challenging and rewarding career opportunities across the country. Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for eleven consecutive years and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for fourteen consecutive years, our culture is guided by The McCarthy Way—our shared approach to working with clients and with each other.

The McCarthy Way is built on four core elements: Excellence, through attracting and developing top talent committed to delivering on our Client Commitment; Collaboration, through seamless, integrated teamwork; Inclusion, through eliminating barriers to belonging and success; and Innovation, through delivering maximum value by embracing leading-edge technologies and approaches. Together, these principles shape how we work, lead, and grow—every day.

An employee in this position will be required to interact with clients and third parties who only understand and communicate in English. This position also requires that the candidate be able to interact fluidly with colleagues in our offices across Canada, where English is the predominant language. As we evaluate that more than 60% of the work required by this position is to be performed in English, the language requirements for this position are a high level of reading comprehension and writing as well as a beginner level of oral communication.

We are recruiting for a Bilingual Legal Assistant, Litigation to join our team in our Montreal office. The successful candidate musthave a minimum 3 years’ of relevant experience, and experience with conflicts checks and dealing with highly confidential matters. The candidate will be responsible for supporting lawyers with documents, calendar management, and client support. McCarthy Tétrault employees benefit from a hybrid work environment.

As a Bilingual Legal Assistant (Litigation), you will be:

Documents

• Preparing, editing, formatting, printing, scanning and revising correspondence, memoranda, litigation documents, reports, forms, labels and other printed material through dictation, copy typing or other instructions, in accordance with the requirements set by the practice group.
• Coordinating and dispersing tasks to be performed by various resource groups such as the Document Specialists, Administrative Clerks, Billing Assistants, etc. where appropriate while ensuring tasks are completed in a timely manner.
• Proofreading documents and checking for appropriate formatting, spelling, grammar and clarity.

Litigation

• Assisting lawyers in the preparation and coordination of hearings and trials; recording and monitoring court appearance dates, pleadings and filing requirements.
• Preparing basic court pleadings or other courtroom visuals.
• Coordinating service and filing of proceedings with agencies and courts.
• Scheduling and coordinating discoveries, expert witnesses or other court-designated hearings. Monitoring evidence gathering.
• Maintaining an in-depth knowledge of legal terminology, court rules and procedures as well as medical terminology where applicable.

File and Time Management

• Managing files including: opening new files, maintaining large and complex files, developing, maintaining and utilizing an orderly filing and retrieval system to ensure ease of reference to historical paper or electronic records, organizing law and precedent files.
• Working with Records Management and Administrative Clerks to create, maintain and store client files as appropriate.
• Managing key dates including physical bring forward system and updating calendars for assigned lawyers, including their meetings, appointments, due dates and client-related activities.

Lawyer / Client Support

• Coordinating lawyer travel arrangements, including preparing itineraries and travel expense reports.
• Updating contact names and addresses in the client database on a regular basis.
• Coordinating client meetings, including scheduling rooms and arranging for needed catering or audio-visual equipment.

Mail, Fax and Phone Reception Functions

• Reviewing and routing incoming mail and fax communications; preparing and processing outgoing mail and faxes; and arranging for specialized mail or messenger services as required.
• Receiving, handling, screening and/or directing incoming calls as directed by lawyers; responding to routine inquiries and requests from clients; and taking messages as required.

Financial and Administrative Functions

• Assisting with the preparation and finalization of time entry on a daily basis according to firm standards in preparation for Billing Assistant to process.
• Working with Finance to coordinate new Client and Matter openings (KYC);
• Coordinating activities with functional area staff (Office Services, Marketing, etc.), as needed.
• Providing consistent backup support when assistants are absent; providing support to assistants who may be managing multiple tasks and/or difficult deadlines; and working proactively as a positive and productive member of the team.

Other

• Maintaining and updating job knowledge and technical skills by identifying and participating in education opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned.

As our ideal candidate, you will distinguish yourself by the following profile:

• Legal Assistant Diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years of experience as a litigation legal assistant.
• In-depth knowledge of legal terminology, court rules and procedures.
• Strong attention to detail and superior word processing, spelling, proofreading and editing skills.
• Capacity to perform duties with speed and accuracy.
• Strong time management, organizational and multi-tasking skills and ability to work under pressure to meet important deadlines.
• Ability to follow-up on files and delays with minimal supervision.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality.
• Flexibility to occasionally work overtime.

Why Join McCarthy Tétrault – Key BenefitsAs a member of the McCarthy Tétrault team, you will have access to a comprehensive and competitive rewards package designed to support your professional and personal well-being:

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm and wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Comprehensive wellbeing support, including access to Dialogue for confidential mental health support, virtual healthcare assistance, and proactive wellness resources for you.
• Competitive compensation, paid overtime and generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• Commitment to learning and growth, with ongoing professional development opportunities for people at all levels.
• Strong community involvement and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A supportive, collaborative culture that values contribution, accountability and shared success across legal and business teams.

How to Apply: 

We encourage external candidates to apply online and internal applicants must apply directly through our internal careers portal on Espresso. We look forward to receiving your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest in McCarthy Tétrault; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status. McCarthy Tétrault is an equal opportunity employer that fosters an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment. Please notify us if you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.