Legal Assistant - Estate & Trust

Meyer Capel is seeking a tech-savvy, full-time legal assistant to support its dynamic estate and trust department at its Champaign office.

The Ideal Candidate. The ideal candidate (1) is highly skilled at utilizing Adobe Acrobat DC, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Zoom, and AdobeSign; (2) learns quickly and seeks to anticipate the needs of others; (3) takes exceptionally diligent care of clients; (4) thrives while multi-tasking; (5) can shift priorities to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities. The job responsibilities include:

1. Dedicate approximately one-half of time to assisting a remote estate/trust attorney, and dedicate approximately one-half of time to additional ad hoc tasks from the estate/trust department;
2. Check for conflicts of interest; intake clients; manage attorney calendars and coordinate meetings;
3. Gather and digitize financial, legal, and other documents; input, collect, compile, organize, and analyze confidential information;
4. Prepare engagement letters, closing letters, other correspondence, and estate plan documents with attorney supervision;
5. Print and flag signature-ready estate planning and administration documents;
6. Serve as witness to estate planning signing ceremonies; notarize documents;
7. Coordinate e-signatures via AdobeSign; e-file probate court documents; retrieve public records;
8. Collaborate with other colleagues in a professional service environment;
9. Serve as back-up to other administrative service functions as needed, provide coverage for vacations and absences;
10. Handle incoming telephone calls;
11. Maintain the estate/trust department’s estate planning archives;
12. Be knowledgeable of office policies and procedures; and
13. Conduct other ad hoc tasks for the benefit of the department.

Necessary Qualifications. Applicant must satisfy the following mandatory minimum qualifications:

1. Has efficient command of Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat DC, Outlook, Excel, Zoom, and AdobeSign;
2. Is extremely well organized, dependable, and pays attention to detail;
3. Follows rules and procedures;
4. Demonstrates terrific proofreading skills, written communication skills, and oral communication skills;
5. Is a solutions-oriented teammate;
6. Displays a high-level of autonomy and is a self-starter who follows through on commitments; and
7. Strives for efficiency without sacrificing quality.

Preferred Qualifications. The preferred (but not mandatory) qualifications include:

1. Has 2 or more years of work experience as an estate/trust legal assistant or in estate/trust settlement or wealth management at a financial institution or trust company;
2. Has a bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or a paralegal certificate; and
3. Is a notary public.

Position Type: Full-time Employment

Salary: Commensurate with experience. Meyer Capel offers a competitive benefits package which can be discussed during the interview process.

Is this position part time? No

Work location: 310 W. Church St., Champaign, IL 61820

How to Apply: Submit cover letter and resume to recruiting@meyercapel.com. Add "Champaign Legal Assistant - Estate & Trust" to the subject line. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.