If you're passionate about being part of a diverse organization that enables a Fortune 100 company to deliver innovative business solutions with excellence, then Nationwide's Legal team could be the place for you!

Insurance Carrier/Insurance Defense Litigation Preferred

Job Description Summary

Would you thrive in a fast-paced environment where you can deliver top-quality legal administrative services to support the mission of a Fortune 100 insurance company to protect people, businesses and futures with extraordinary care? If you are a self-starter, possess strong collaboration skills and bring a team-oriented approach needed for success in a litigation environment, our team may be the place for you!

Nationwide Trial Division is a national team with approximately 40 offices through six regions across the United States. Our Senior Legal Assistants have secretarial experience in a law firm setting and have a working knowledge of property and casualty and/or subrogation law, as well as extensive knowledge in legal concepts, terminology and processes. As a Senior Legal Assistant, you’ll perform a variety of secretarial and administrative support duties for a team of legal professionals representing clients under both commercial and personal lines insurance policies. You’ll be expected to support legal team(s) with highly productive case volume that reflects our collective commitment to innovative thinking, effective collaboration, embracing technology and a highly organized and proactive approach to case management.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Provides administrative support to attorneys in the defense of civil insurance claims or in the prosecution of subrogation rights, typically in cases of moderate to high value or complexity.

• Assists with daily office operations, may provide guidance and support to other legal assistants in the office, may coordinate work flow and task coverage.

• Prepares various legal documents/pleadings (e.g. notices of depositions, requests for production, settlement documents) and electronically files pleadings with the courts.

• Maintains working knowledge of court procedures. Reviews court dockets and retrieves case information.

• Maintains a daily calendar, responsible for scheduling and diaries various tasks, provides case file related reminders to attorneys, and updates and retrieves information from internal case management system.

• Answers telephone, takes messages, directs or redirects calls and handles case-specific inquiries, processes and files mail, electronic court filings and electronic communications in internal case management system

• Understands and maintains confidentiality in respect to the attorney-client privilege/relationship, trial strategies, ethics rules, the identities of plaintiff, defense clients and claims customers.

• Understand and has working knowledge of each file assigned to attorney(s), knows parties involved, basic facts, general discovery, arbitration or trial status, and major discovery to be accomplished. Inputs and retrieves information through matter management system.

May performs other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Report to a Managing Trial Attorney or Trial Division Administrative Specialist, depending on office size and reporting structure.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: High school graduate required and formal legal secretarial training at a business or technical school; or associate degree or equivalent from two-year college preferred. Related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of educational and experience in order to gain an understanding of law office policies and procedures.

Experience: Minimum five years related experience in insurance defense litigation is preferred. Membership in professional secretarial organization are preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Requires extensive knowledge of general law office operations, practices and procedures. Knowledge of filing and scheduling procedures of the various courts, as well as how to use federal and state e-filing and e-Court systems. Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, case management databases, such as Legal Files is preferred. Understanding of personal and commercial lines policies, and in specialized areas of the law such as appellate work, subrogation, worker’s compensation, and other areas as identified. Strong written and verbal communication skills for interaction with attorneys, paralegals, court personnel, clients and claims’ staff. Ability to efficiently handle multiple projects with overlapping deadlines, frequently changing priorities and rapid turnaround. Must be a self-starter, performs all duties in an independent and productive manner, and is able to collaborate as part of a team in a fast-paced environment. Must be able to work in an electronic/digital and “paperless” environment. Must also acknowledge and follow all corporate and NTD policies and procedures.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Eligible (nonexempt)

Working Conditions: Professional law office environment, business casual dress, with some work from home possible. Potential local travel to courts, law offices. Occasional overtime.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

Credit/Background Check: Due to the fiduciary account abilities of this job, a valid credit check and/or background which will be required as part of the selection process.