Remote Legal Assistant jobs in East Moline, Illinois – Full‑Time Junior Position Supporting Litigation & Corporate Work, $45‑55K, Expert in Clio & Westlaw

TITLE:Remote Legal Assistant jobs in East Moline, Illinois – Full‑Time Junior Position Supporting Litigation & Corporate Work, $45‑55K, Expert in Clio & Westlaw --- ### About the team (and why we’re writing this) We’re a boutique but growing legal services firm headquartered in East Moline, Illinois. Over the past 18 months we’ve added three new practice groups – real estate, fintech compliance, and class‑action defense – and each one has nudged our attorney headcount from 12 to 22. The extra docket volume means the work that used to sit in a single “Legal Secretary” mailbox now lives across three Slack channels, a shared Google Drive, and a Clio case folder for every matter.Our attorneys love the flexibility of handling client calls from home, but they’re quick to tell us that the real bottleneck has become “getting the right document into the right hands, fast.” That’s why we’re opening thisRemote Legal Assistant role right now: we need a reliable partner who can keep the paperwork pipeline moving, do the legwork on legal research, and give the team’s 150 + active files the kind of organized support that turns a chaotic docket into a clear roadmap. > “I’ll never forget the first time our junior assistant took a mountain of discovery requests and, in under 24 hours, turned it into a tidy, searchable spreadsheet.The whole team breathed easier – it reminded me why we hire people, not just processes.” – Emily,Senior Litigation Manager In short, we’re not looking for a generic “legal secretary.” We’re looking for a remote legal assistant who can be the connective tissue between attorneys, clients, and the many tech platforms that keep our practice humming. --- ### What the day‑to‑day looks like (your real‑world responsibilities) | Primary function | Typical tasks (and frequency) | |------------------|--------------------------------| | Document preparation | Draft, proof, and format pleadings, motions, and discovery responses in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat (average 8–10 documents per day).| | Legal research | Run case law searches in Westlaw and LexisNexis, summarize findings, and update matter notes (≈ 2 hours of research per attorney per week). | | Case management | Upload new filings to Clio, set deadlines, and run daily task reports to ensure every matter meets the 24‑hour SLA for document turnover. | | Client communication | Screen inbound emails, schedule Zoom or Teams calls, and send client updates using DocuSign for signature requests (≈ 30 minutes per day). | | Administrative support | Manage attorney calendars in Google Workspace, maintain the firm’s shared Asana board for project tracking, and troubleshoot basic IT hiccups (Slack, Zoom, or virtual printer issues).| | Billing assistance | Pull time entries from Clio, verify accuracy, and forward to the billing team for invoicing (once per week). | You’ll be the first line of defense against missed deadlines. Our current SLA is 95 % of filings submitted within 24 hours of the attorney’s request – a target we hit because the legal assistant on the other side keeps the workflow tight and the backlog low. When the firm’s quarterly review shows we processed $4.2 M in billable hours, the legal assistants collectively handled ≈ 12 % of the total document volume that made those numbers possible.Your contribution will be measured not by the number of coffee cups you drink but by how quickly and accurately you get a motion from “draft” to “filed.” --- ### Who we’re looking for (the exact skill set) -Experience: Minimum 2 years as a legal secretary, paralegal, or legal assistant in a law firm or corporate legal department. Remote experience is a plus, but we’ll train the right candidate. - Technical fluency: Comfortable navigating Clio, Westlaw, LexisNexis, Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, DocuSign, Zoom, Slack, Asana, and Adobe Acrobat.We expect you to be able to create a new case folder in Clio and set up the discovery checklist in under 15 minutes. - Writing ability: Ability to proofread and edit legal prose, ensuring citations follow Bluebook style (or the firm’s internal guide) without a single typo. - Time management: Must juggle at least 5 concurrent matters while maintaining the 24‑hour turnaround SLA. We’ll look for examples of how you’ve kept a docket organized using spreadsheets or task boards. - Communication: Clear, courteous email tone; confident voice on Zoom; and the knack for translating legal jargon into plain language for clients.- Problem‑solving: When a client’s DocuSign link expires or a Westlaw search returns a paywall, you’ll know how to troubleshoot or escalate without slowing the team down. Nice‑to‑have: Familiarity with e‑discovery platforms (e.g., Relativity), basic knowledge of court filing systems in both state and federal jurisdictions, and a certification from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) or similar. --- ### Why this role matters now (the context)Our firm’s revenue grew 28 % year‑over‑year in 2023, largely driven by three large class‑action settlements in the fintech space.Those cases brought in $1.1 M in new business and required a rapid scale‑up of support staff. However, we chose not to simply add more attorneys; we realized the bottleneck was in the pre‑filing process. In East Moline, Illinois, the state courts have recently moved to an electronic filing system that mandates real‑time upload of supporting documents. Missing a deadline now triggers an automatic “late filing” notice that can add $500 per occurrence to a client’s bill. That shift is forcing law firms nationwide to tighten their back‑office workflows, and we’re ahead of the curve because we’re building a remote legal assistant team that can respond instantly, no matter where they’re located.Our decision to keep the role remote is also strategic. In our last recruiting cycle, the only candidates who met the tech‑savvy profile lived outside of the traditional legal hubs like New York or Washington, D.C. By allowing remote work, we tap into a broader talent pool while still keeping the “home office” feel that our attorneys appreciate. We’ve already seen a 15 % reduction in turnover among remote staff compared to on‑site hires, primarily because they can maintain a better work‑life balance.--- ###The team you’ll join (culture and collaboration) - Size: You’ll be one of four remote legal assistants, reporting directly to theSenior Litigation Manager (Emily) and collaborating daily with six attorneys across three practice groups. - Structure: We run a bi‑weekly sprint using Asana where each assistant shares their capacity, upcoming deadlines, and any blockers. This agile approach keeps the team transparent and allows us to re‑allocate resources when a matter spikes. - Human moments: Every Friday, the team holds a 15‑minute “Coffee Chat” on Zoom where we share a non‑work story—a new pet, a recent hike in the Rockies, or a favorite recipe.This ritual started when our first remote assistant from Portland, OR, missed a deadline due to a power outage; the team rallied to finish the filing, and we’ve been celebrating those small wins ever since. - Mentorship: Emily runs a monthly “Legal Tech Deep Dive” where she shows a quick tip (e.g., customizing a Clio workflow) and answers any questions. New assistants are paired with a “buddy” for the first 60 days to ensure they’re never alone when a tricky filing question pops up. --- ### What we offer (the practical side) -Compensation: $45,000 – $55,000 USD annually, based on experience and proven ability to meet the 24‑hour SLA.We review salary every 12 months. -Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with 3 % employer match; 12 paid holidays; and 15 days of PTO that roll over each year (up to 30 days total). -Remote stipend: $150 per month for home‑office supplies (ergonomic chair, monitor, internet upgrade). -Professional development: Up to $2,000 per year for certifications (e.g., NALA, Paralegal Certificate) or legal‑tech courses (e.g., LegalTech Academy). - Performance bonuses: Quarterly bonuses tied to SLA compliance and the volume of filings processed; last quarter the team earned an average $2,300 each for exceeding targets.--- ### How we measure success (the metrics you’ll be accountable to) 1. SLA compliance: ≥ 95 % of attorney requests completed within 24 hours. 2. Document accuracy: These metrics are not just numbers; they directly impact our ability to bill at the $250 hourly rate our attorneys command, which in turn sustains the firm’s growth trajectory. --- ### Application process (what to expect) 1. Resume & cover letter: Highlight two examples where you met tight deadlines and one where you implemented a tech solution (e.g., a Clio automation). 2. Skills questionnaire: Ten short questions about your experience with Westlaw, Clio, and document formatting. 3. Video interview (30 min): With Emily, theSenior Litigation Manager, focusing on situational judgment (“Tell us about a time you missed a deadline and how you fixed it”).4. Practical test (1 hour): You’ll receive a mock discovery request and will be asked to draft a short memorandum and upload the file to a test Clio environment. 5. Final interview: A brief 15‑minute chat with the firm’s Managing Partner to discuss culture fit and long‑term goals. We aim to complete the entire process within three weeks of receiving your application, because we know you have other opportunities and don’t want to keep you waiting. --- ### Final words (why you should apply) If you thrive when the inbox is full, enjoy turning legal jargon into tidy, searchable files, and love the idea of a remote role that still lets you feel part of a close‑knit team in East Moline, Illinois, this is a chance to grow alongside a firm that’s scaling responsibly.We’re not promising “glamorous” courtroom drama; we’re promising real work that matters, clear metrics to track your success, and a supportive environment that celebrates the small wins (like a well‑formatted motion that goes live without a hitch). Ready to help us keep the docket clean, the clients happy, and the attorneys focused on strategy rather than paperwork? Click “Apply” and let’s start the conversation. --- * The position is open to candidates located anywhere in the United States, but we prefer applicants who can work regular U.S.Eastern Time business hours, aligning with our core team in East Moline, Illinois.* Apply tot his job