Executive Assistant

At Sweeney Merrigan, one of Boston’s leading personal injury law firms, we pride ourselves on giving our clients only the highest quality of service, care, and professionalism as we fight to get them the compensation they deserve. Our office is a low-ego environment where we seek to have one another’s backs and strive for excellence as a group.

Purpose

The Executive Assistant provides high-level executive and legal administrative support to an assigned Partner and helps oversee the efficient day-to-day operation of the office. This position requires prior experience supporting attorneys in a law firm or comparable legal environment and is intended for a candidate who is already comfortable with legal terminology, attorney workflows, court-related deadlines, and the level of discretion and responsiveness required in a legal practice.

The successful candidate will be able to step into the role with a strong foundation in executive and legal support, independently manage competing priorities, and anticipate the needs of the Partner they support. The Executive Assistant must demonstrate exceptional organizational skills, sound judgment, professionalism, and attention to detail while operating effectively in a fast-paced and demanding environment.

Essential Functions

Executive and Attorney Support

• Serve as a trusted administrative partner to the assigned Partner, anticipating needs, managing priorities, and ensuring important matters are appropriately tracked and addressed.
• Manage a complex and frequently changing calendar, including court appearances, depositions, arbitrations, mediations, client meetings, internal meetings, conference calls, deadlines, and other commitments.
• Proactively identify scheduling conflicts, competing priorities, and time-sensitive matters and work independently to resolve them.
• Assist with inbox and email management, including monitoring and organizing communications, identifying time-sensitive or high-priority matters, coordinating follow-up, and drafting or preparing routine correspondence for attorney review as appropriate.
• Coordinate business travel, prepare itineraries, make travel arrangements, and process related reimbursements.
• Maintain appropriate reminders, follow-ups, and tracking systems so deadlines and commitments are not missed.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with a high degree of discretion and sound judgment.

Legal Administrative Support

• Apply familiarity with legal terminology and law firm practices to effectively understand and prioritize attorney requests and communications.
• Prepare, edit, proofread, format, file, and, where appropriate, draft legal and business documents, including letters, memoranda, pleadings, motions, discovery, agreements, subpoenas, and other legal documents.
• File documents with courts, including electronic filing, and assist with tracking applicable deadlines and filing requirements.
• Prepare and organize materials for depositions, hearings, trials, meetings, and other legal proceedings, including exhibits, binders, tabs, tables of contents, and supporting documents.
• Review documents and correspondence for formatting, grammar, accuracy, completeness, and professional presentation.
• Organize and coordinate incoming information, mail, and documents; identify required action, appropriate routing, signatures, deadlines, and follow-up.
• Maintain paper and electronic files in accordance with firm policies and established legal file-management practices.
• Maintain attorney contacts and assist with tracking CLE requirements, bar memberships, and related professional obligations.

Office and Administrative Operations

• Oversee and support administrative functions to help ensure the office operates efficiently and smoothly.
• Serve as the primary contact for designated vendors and maintain the firm's vendor and platform information.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors regarding office changes, repairs, improvements, and other operational needs.
• Manage office-related expenses within established budgets and assist with expense tracking and reporting.
• Coordinate company events, including researching options, obtaining cost comparisons, communicating with vendors, and managing day-of logistics.
• Help maintain professional and organized common spaces, including conference rooms, the lobby, kitchen, and mail areas.
• Assist with office layout planning, office moves, equipment coordination, and basic IT and technology logistics in collaboration with appropriate internal and external resources.
• Prepare and process outgoing mail, deliveries, faxes, messenger services, and other correspondence as needed.
• Answer and appropriately route calls and assist clients, visitors, and other external contacts professionally.

Process Improvement and Collaboration

• Identify opportunities to improve administrative processes, communication, organization, and office operations.
• Develop and implement administrative systems, procedures, and tracking methods that improve efficiency and reduce the risk of missed deadlines or follow-ups.
• Coordinate with attorneys, paralegals, administrative staff, and other departments to streamline processes and communication.
• Collaborate with the broader team on overflow projects and time-sensitive matters, including filings, depositions, hearings, and trials.
• Conduct research, prepare reports, schedule group meetings, and provide additional administrative support as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to provide high-level executive support to attorneys or law firm Partners.
• Strong working knowledge of legal terminology and familiarity with the workflow and demands of a legal practice.
• Demonstrated competency managing complex executive calendars, scheduling conflicts, deadlines, and shifting priorities.
• Demonstrated competency managing and organizing a high-volume professional inbox and assisting with attorney correspondence and follow-up.
• Ability to understand the context and urgency of legal communications and appropriately prioritize matters with limited direction.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong proofreading, document formatting, and written communication skills.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to handle highly confidential or sensitive information.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to anticipate needs rather than relying solely on direct instruction.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership of responsibilities, and follow matters through to completion.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and remain composed and effective in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to learn firm-specific technology and processes quickly.

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience as an Executive Assistant, Legal Executive Assistant, Legal Administrative Assistant, or comparable high-level administrative role supporting attorneys.
• Prior experience directly supporting attorneys in a law firm or comparable legal environment is required.
• Experience supporting a Partner, senior attorney, executive, or similarly senior professional is required.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing calendars, email communications, legal documents, deadlines, and competing priorities is required.
• Familiarity with legal terminology, legal correspondence, and common law firm processes is required.
• Experience with court filings, litigation support, and/or legal document preparation is strongly preferred.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; associate degree required or equivalent combination of relevant education and substantial professional experience.

This position is not intended as an entry-level administrative role. Candidates should bring an established foundation in executive and legal support and be prepared to independently perform the core responsibilities of the position with limited foundational training.

Certificates/Licenses Required

N/A

Compensation and Benefits

Annual salary range: $65,000–$95,000 per year, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications. Full health benefits and 401(k) matching are offered in accordance with company policy.

Language Ability

Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English and communicate effectively using professional and legal terminology.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Sweeney Merrigan Law is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, including but not limited to those based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We believe that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to serve our clients and strengthens our firm culture.