Legal Administrative Assistant - Litigation/Maritime in Houston, Texas at Jones Walker LLP

At Jones Walker, we are driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, a deep sense of community, and a fierce determination to deliver exceptional service and value for our clients. Since its inception in 1937, the Firm has pursued intelligent, client-driven growth. Today, as one of the largest law firms in the United States, we serve local, regional, national, and international business interests in a wide range of markets and industries. Our more than 350 attorneys are located in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, and Texas.

We are seeking a proactive, highly organized Legal Administrative Assistant (LAA) to provide comprehensive support to a team of litigation attorneys in our Houston office, including attorneys with a Maritime practice. This role is best suited for a self-directed professional who takes ownership of assignments, anticipates needs, and follows matters through to completion with minimal supervision. The successful candidate is detail-oriented, curious, and comfortable exercising independent judgment to ensure cases remain organized, deadlines are met, and matters continue moving forward without requiring constant attorney direction.

Essential Job Duties

• Open, close, and maintain client files, keeping them organized and current in both electronic and hard copy format.
• Create, edit, and revise pleadings, discovery, correspondence, and other legal documents.
• Proofread documents for spelling, grammar, formatting, and content accuracy, ensuring high-quality work product.
• Manage attorneys’ calendars and independently maintain litigation calendaring, ensuring deadlines, hearings, scheduling orders, meetings, travel, and other critical dates are accurately identified, recorded, monitored, and communicated.
• Review court filings, notices, pleadings, and correspondence to identify deadlines and required follow-up actions; promptly save and organize filed documents and ensure all related deadlines are calendared.
• Proactively facilitate the management of litigation deadlines by providing timely reminders and following through to ensure matters remain on track.
• File legal pleadings and other documents with courts and administrative agencies.
• Maintain attorney time records.
• Support billing and e-billing activities, including invoice preparation, submission, and follow-up.
• Correspond with clients, courts, opposing counsel, and others verbally and in writing while representing attorneys and the Firm professionally.
• Support deposition, hearing, mediation, and trial preparation, including compiling exhibits, preparing binders, coordinating logistics, and organizing materials.
• Track outstanding items through completion and proactively follow up with attorneys, clients, courts, opposing counsel, vendors, and internal teams as necessary.
• Anticipate attorney and client needs by gathering information, preparing materials in advance, and identifying potential issues before they become problems.
• Respect strict confidentiality requirements regarding client files and sensitive information.
• Navigate workflow technology with confidence and effectively utilize available resources.
• Answer phone calls, take messages, and redirect calls when appropriate.
• Proactively build and coordinate relationships with attorneys, LAAs, paralegals, and other business professionals across the Firm.
• Assist team members as needed to manage client deadlines and workload demands.
• Regular and predictable in-office attendance.

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• At least two years of experience in a legal administrative or litigation support role.
• Strong working knowledge of, or the ability to quickly learn, court rules, procedures, calendaring requirements, and litigation workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and manage competing priorities with minimal supervision.
• Proven ability to identify deadlines, determine appropriate next steps, and follow assignments through to completion without detailed direction.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, particularly with court filings, docket management, calendaring, and document organization.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and the ability to work with legal practice management software, document management systems, and court filing platforms.
• Willingness and ability to embrace new technologies, platforms, and processes and learn them quickly.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a professional and client-service-oriented demeanor.
• Natural curiosity and willingness to learn new practice areas, procedures, technologies, client industries, and the maritime sector.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced legal environment with shifting priorities and competing deadlines.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position, and hours of work and days are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. This role operates in a professional office setting using standard office equipment.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing equal opportunity for the participation of all qualified persons in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other factor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The hiring department will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant's criminal history. If this position is subject to a background check for any convictions related to its responsibilities and requirements, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. Criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate.