Associate Attorney Jobs in Portland,OR,US

Represent clients in silica and/or asbestos personal injury and wrongful death actions, write legal documents, defend and take depositions, attend court hearings, manage cases and advise clients, representing them in various legal proceedings. Duties are expanded as appropriate as experience is gained. Duties are required to be fulfilled either within the office, remote, or hybrid, or at various court and deposition locations.

Essential Functions:

Case management: Each attorney is assigned a group of cases to oversee. A case log is provided to each attorney which states the cases assigned. Review case log on a weekly basis. Analyze the strength of each defendant in each case. Design an offensive discovery plan for each case on the log. Meet with the managing partner, or senior associate as assigned, on a bimonthly or monthly basis as needed to present analysis of cases and to confirm what offensive discovery should be pursued. Propound discovery. Be available to answer calls from clients on your log. Be available to discuss assigned cases with paralegal as needed. Be available to respond to discovery issues. Prepare Motions to Compel as needed. Respond to Percipient Witness notices promptly. Contract witnesses to ascertain how they contribute to the case and to determine if they should remain on the witness list. Prepare monthly file reviews for each of your cases. Shepard the case from filing through to being ready for trial.

Depositions:

Attorneys will be required to prepare for and attend to take and/or defend Plaintiff Trial Video Direct and/or Depositions. Depositions most often occur remotely via Zoom, but are sometimes in person in Portland, Oregon or at or near wherever the client lives anywhere in the country. Attorneys must have a driver's license, a vehicle, and the ability to travel when needed. Plaintiff injured party TVDs/depositions typically last from several days to several weeks and sometimes longer. Plaintiff heir depositions typically last from a few hours to a day. Expert depositions typically last from one to a few hours. PMKCOR depositions typically last one to a few days. All depositions require post-deposition memo follow ups that must be completed in a timely manner.

Discovery:

Attorneys may be required to respond to discovery from defendants. If so, the process is as follows: Prepare an evaluation for each set of discovery assigned by the evaluation due date. Direct that each evaluation be saved in the client directory. Timely submit the evaluation to the managing partner or senior associate as assigned (each set of discovery has an evaluation due date written on it). If it is determined that the discovery is to be responded to, prepare timely responses to discovery, calling clients and co-workers as needed. If it is determined that a dismissal is appropriate, negotiate the dismissal with the defendant and direct the staff person assigned to preparing dismissals to do so. Meet and confer with defendants regarding the discovery. Prepare opposition to motion to compel. Instead of the forgoing, attorneys may be required to manage/review/edit discovery clerks who do the process above. Oppositions to

Summary Judgment and Other Motions:

Attorneys may be required to research and write oppositions to Motions for Summary Judgement. Prepare an evaluation for each Motion for Summary Judgement assigned by the evaluation due date. Timely submit the evaluation to the managing partner or senior associate assigned (each motion has an evaluation due date written on it). If it is determined that the motion is to be opposed, prepare a timely opposition, calling clients, experts and co-workers as needed. The opposition is to be submitted in a timely fashion for review by managing partner or assigned senior associate (draft submittal "due" date is written on motion). If it is determined that a dismissal is appropriate, negotiate the dismissal with the defendant and direct the staff person assigned to preparing dismissals to do so. The process is similar for oppositions to other motions.

Trials:

Attorneys may be offered the opportunity to 2nd chair or 1st chair trials. Essential Requirements of being an associate attorney: In addition to the above, attorneys

MUST:

Communicate effectively in person, via email, via zoom, and via telephone with coworkers, clients, witnesses, and defense attorneys. Attend meetings. Attend training sessions. Maintain computer skills, database familiarity and continuing education requirements. Work 55 - 65 hour work weeks, and on occasion 65-80 hour work weeks. Properly and timely utilize payroll and time management software. Have a Juris Doctorate Degree. Be an active member of the Oregon State Bar.