Proskauer's paralegals work side by side with our lawyers to produce high quality legal services. With more than 100 paralegals, our program, managed by Claudia A. Alston, Director of Paralegal Services, maximizes efficiency and quality for our lawyers and their clients, contributing to the firm's reputation for superior client service. Our paralegals come from diverse backgrounds and top-ranked schools, including Brandeis, Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, New York University, Northwestern and Princeton. They are problem solvers and team players who take pride in their work product and complete projects efficiently and cost effectively.

In order to provide the best service to our clients, our paralegal program is structured in a three-tiered system:

• Senior Paralegals have at least seven years of experience in a legal environment and possess extensive knowledge and thorough understanding of their practice area. They assume important roles on complex projects and coordinate activities among legal teams. They also provide training, mentoring and professional development opportunities to more junior paralegals.
• Mid-level Paralegals have worked one to five years in a law firm environment. They have knowledge and experience in their practice area, and work independently to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines for both lawyers and senior paralegals.  
• Project Assistants are recent college graduates who are looking to gain exposure to the legal field before attending law school. They possess excellent written and oral communication skills, critical thinking abilities and are detail oriented. These qualities allow them to effectively support lawyers and more senior paralegals on a wide range of projects and tasks with appropriate supervision.

Senior and Mid-level Paralegal positions are filled only when an opening becomes available. We do not review or retain unsolicited applications. 

Project Assistant Program 

Each year, we hire and train a class of entry-level Project Assistants in our Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, DC offices. We seek candidates with strong academic backgrounds who wish to learn about the practice of law prior to attending law school. Candidates must be willing to make a two-year commitment and be available to work the hours required by a leading law firm (including evenings and weekends). Successful candidates will be placed in specific practice areas based on the firm's needs: 

Practice Areas

• Corporate Project Assistants assist lawyers and senior paralegals in a wide range of practice areas, from Mergers & Acquisitions and Sports Law to Capital Markets and Private Investment Funds. They are involved in all stages of corporate transactions, coordinating pre-closing and post-closing items such as filings, due diligence, document organization and lien searches, and assisting with corporate entity formation. They also gain exposure to regulatory issues by working with our lawyers on SEC filings and audit letter requests.
• Labor and Litigation Project Assistants work with lawyers and senior paralegals on all phases of the litigation process, from the initial complaint to document discovery, depositions, expert discovery, trial preparation and post-trial/appeal. They organize documents and coordinate document productions, conduct various document searches and factual research, assist lawyers with preparation of pleadings and filings, organize and prepare witness materials, digests and related documents for lawyer review, prepare for and attend depositions and trials, and maintain case files and document databases.

How to Apply

The recruiting process for the 2020 Project Assistant program will begin on January 15, 2020.  Eligible candidates for the Project Assistant class should send an email with the subject line “2020 PA Program Application” submitting their resumes, along with a cover letter which includes a preference for which office(s) they are applying, to Gretchen Holowaty, Manager of Paralegal Services, at gholowaty@proskauer.com. The next Project Assistant class is scheduled to begin in early summer 2020.

Qualifications

Candidates must meet the following requirements and skills to be considered for the 2020 Proskauer Project Assistants program: 

• 2019 or 2020 graduate from a four-year college with a B.A. or B.S. degree
• Academically accomplished with excellent organizational skills
• Willing to make a minimum commitment of two years to the Firm
• Available to work considerable overtime when required including evenings and weekends
• Able to work well under pressure in a team environment and handle multiple tasks efficiently
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Foreign language skills a plus 

Training & Mentoring 

We are deeply committed to training and professional development opportunities for our paralegal staff. Each year, the firm holds a formal weeklong training program for its entering class of Project Assistants to introduce practice area-specific knowledge/skills and help them successfully transition to the law firm environment. We also regularly schedule workshops to introduce new technology and services and provide skill development.