Senior Legal Assistant - Real Estate and Development 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 Real Estate and Development Unit of the Law Department represents the City in major economic development initiatives and real estate transactions. The attorneys in this unit, with support from the Legal Assistants, serve as corporate, real estate, and transactional counsel to all city Departments and are called upon to help structure, negotiate, and document significant transactional matters.

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Real Estate & Development Unit is currently seeking to fill a Senior Legal Assistant position. This position requires excellent organizational, communication, analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as exceptional drafting and proof-reading skills. Must be able to work independently, as well as with a team and with clients. Intermediate-level skills working with Microsoft Office applications, Adobe Pro, and document management systems are necessary.

The ideal candidate for this position will have a paralegal degree/certificate from an ABA approved institution and 3+ years of paralegal experience. Experience managing and tracking large document submissions or transactions required. Affordable housing, commercial real estate, finance, or litigation and discovery experience strongly preferred. Title and survey experience preferred.

Essential Functions:

In addition to the Position Summary, responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborating on projects which often include working with attorneys and staff and clients.
• Drafting a wide range of legal documents, including leases, conveyancing documents, deeds, and municipal legislation.
• Facilitating leasehold interest acquisition, ensuring compliance with complex specifications.
• Working closely with title companies to obtain title reports, clear title, and title insurance policies.
• Reviewing and summarizing title reports.
• Reviewing and summarizing land surveys.
• Conducting frequent research on complex title matters.
• Responding to internal and external requests for documentation, title information, and routing requests to appropriate parties.
• Providing litigation support on real estate matters.
• Developing and maintaining checklists for large-scale real estate transactions and tracking documents for those transactions.
• Maintaining organization/filing system.
• Tracking and managing due diligence, coordinating and implementing transactions and work with team to close transactions.
• Compiling quarterly/weekly/daily reports as needed.
• Tracking assignme