Associate Family Law Attorney

Associate Family Law Attorney

Do you want to help people end unbearable marriages, heal their families, and find hope for the future again, without sacrificing your personal life and sanity? We are not your typical law firm. While we are growing fast, we will do it without sacrificing our team or our client relationships. We are looking for an Associate Attorney who can grow with our firm, fit our team culture and prioritizes providing our current, and future, clients with outstanding representation. *This is an ongoing job post and we will be considering applicants on an ongoing basis.

This position offers a respectful team culture, opportunities for professional development, opportunities for performance-based bonuses above your minimum requirement and origination bonuses, plus benefits. As an Associate Attorney, your focus is developing your legal expertise and establishing yourself in the legal community and you do not have any requirement to bring in new cases.  A few years of family law experience is preferred, but we understand that actual experience can vary based on your current/prior job responsibilities in the family law field so there is no minimum requirement years of family law experience to apply. If your professional goal is to become a Certified Family Law Specialist, our firm will support you on that path. All applications will be confidential.

Because we care about your sanity and mental wellness, you should not be billing 25% of your annual requirement in the last month of the year. We want you to have a life outside of work to enjoy time with your family and friends. We have strict rules about after-hours contact from clients and it is a firm policy that personal cell phone numbers are not given out to clients or opposing counsel.

The Job

You will assist the Senior Attorneys in their more complex matters. Under the direction and guidance of the Senior Attorney, the Associate Attorney manages an individual caseload from start to finish. The Associate must be committed to achieving excellent results for our clients through intelligent and zealous advocacy, possess an exceptional work ethic, be self-motivated, and project a positive attitude. The Associate must have excellent oral advocacy skills, thorough writing skills, and be confident in the courtroom. The Associate must be comfortable working collaboratively with Paralegals and Legal Assistants and providing oversight to move the case to a successful completion.

  • Independently handle day-to-day decision-making on assigned cases
  • Develop case strategy and provide leadership and direction to Paralegals and Legal Assistants regarding case work
  • Make court appearances, virtually and in-person.
  • Regularly consult with clients and third parties to effectively move cases forward and to a successful conclusion
  • Perform monthly case reviews to ensure clients receive proactive communication
  • Enter client notes and billable time into the Case Management System
  • Conduct intense point-related research and analyze case-specific legal issues to prepare documentation
  • Prepare motions, briefs, memorandums of law
  • Zealously represent clients in court or in meetings with opposing counsel
  • While there may be opportunities and freedom to work remotely, this is NOT a remote position.

 

The Essentials

  • Personality, character, intelligence, and integrity are extremely important considerations. However, the right fit, willingness to learn and team oriented attitude are equally important qualities.
  • Applicant must have steadfast negotiation experience and skills to keep our clients out of Court and then be able to provide exemplary representation when unsettled issues must be litigated.
  • High-maintenance, humorless, self-entitled or self-important individuals will not succeed in this position and need not apply.
  • We pride ourselves in helping our clients make informed decisions about their case. We take the time to answer any questions they have about the legal process, terms and consequences. This cannot always be done in email and requires a phone call or an in-person meeting. If you do not see value in communicating directly with clients or explaining simple answers to clients, who we work for, our firm is not a fit for you.
  • You will continue to receive guidance and support from the attorneys as an Associate Attorney.
  • Applicant must be licensed in California and have no negative reporting on their law license record, no pending investigations or pending matters before the State Bar Court.
  • We do not bill a client 0.2 if we think about them while getting coffee. We do not bill a client when we leave a voicemail message. If there are five people copied on an email, five people do not bill to review that email. We allow “No Charges” on our bills. If you intend to meet your billable requirements by what we consider unethical billing, according to OUR standards, we are not the firm for you.
  • Familiarity with the following programs is helpful, but not required if you are a fast learner and technologically savvy: MyCase, Essential Forms, Slack, Monday.com, Lawmatics, CFLS DissoMaster Suite of programs, Microsoft Office, CFLS MSA Program, Attorney’s Briefcase, Microsoft Teams, Zoom.
  • We are growing, and you will be called upon to wear many hats. We need someone who does not think that the occasional need to scan your own documents or build your own trial binders is “beneath you.”

Benefits: The firm pays for HMO Kaiser Health Insurance, Dental, Vision, Acupuncture/ Chiropractic, Life Insurance & Long-term Disability Insurance for employees only. Dependents can be added to medical at employee’s expense.   10 days accrued vacation for the first five years and 15 days after completion of five years of employment. There are 10 paid holidays that the firm is closed for.  Eligible for retirement, and firm matching, after three years of employment.

 

Email your resume in PDF format to careers@hiringunicorns.com and include why you have a genuine interest in this position.