Legal Assistant - Commercial Law Unit

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The City of Philadelphia Law Department acts as general counsel for the entire City government structure. We provide legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions concerning any matters related to the exercise of their official powers.  

The Law Department's civil practice includes unique issues involving public interest in business, health, safety, commerce, civil rights, taxation, and community development. We employ more than 220 attorneys and 100 professional staff to support seamless operations, reduce legal liability for the City, and challenge threats to quality of life impacting the taxpayers of Philadelphia.  

We are an ever-evolving Department where all are empowered to reach their full potential, to collaborate with clients as true partners, and to see their work have real impact on the city of Philadelphia. We celebrate the diversity of our staff, the City’s workforce, and the residents whom we serve and promote an environment of comradery, accountability, and inclusiveness.  

The Corporate and Tax Group includes the Commercial Law Unit, Tax & Revenue Unit, Property Assessment Unit, Regulatory Law Unit, and Real Estate & Development Unit.   

The Commercial Law Unit is the City’s corporate general counsel.  It is a collegial, fast-paced, and challenging transactional Unit with a diverse workload impacting nearly every aspect of the City’s business.  Matters handled by the Unit run the gamut of complexity and scale, ranging from small order purchases, to medium sized contracts, to multi-million-dollar projects, to municipal securities transactions in the hundreds of millions.  Each project requires attention to detail, an analytical mind, and a knowledge of the City’s various contracting processes, priorities, offices, and departments.   

Job Description

Position Summary 

The Commercial Law Unit of the Law Department is seeking to fill a Legal Assistant role. The Legal Assistant will support attorneys working on transactional matters by overseeing electronic and paper file management, drafting and reviewing contracts, facilitating the process of executing agreements, drafting correspondence and form agreements, and aiding the overall workflow and productivity of the unit. Additionally, the Legal Assistant will support the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) in legal research and contracting matters.  

Essential Functions 

• Draft and review professional service contracts and ensure the corresponding General Provisions, contract exhibits, and applicable waiver information are appropriately incorporated;  

• Coordinate with the attorney of record and departmental conformance manager for review and approval of contract drafts and exhibits;  

• Utilize the City's Automated Contract Information System (ACIS) to manage the workflow of professional services contracts;  

• Process the final version of contracts and all contract exhibits for electronic signatures utilizing DocuSign;  

• Communicate with attorneys, City stakeholders, subject matter experts, and vendors on contracting matters;  

• Support City Departments, in particular, OTIS with legal research, contract review and drafting, and other projects as needed;  

• Participate in meetings to support City Departments and attorneys in recording, organizing, and distributing relevant documents and meeting minutes;   

• Organize and file correspondence, documents, and other papers for transactions as requested by the Unit’s