Insurance Defense Legal Secretary

Being good neighbors - helping people, investing in our communities, and making the world a better place - is who we are at State Farm. It is at the core of how we operate and the reason for our success. Come join a #1 team and do some good!

As a Fortune 50 company, we hire the best employees to serve our customers, making us a leader in the insurance and financial services industry. In 2024, the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity named State Farm a Top Performer and Compass Award Winner. Additionally, Fortune named State Farm one of the World's Most Admired Companies.

Our mission is to provide high quality legal services in a cost-effective manner and to act as strategic thinking partners for our client and customers. To succeed, we need self-starters who are agile, creative, collaborative, strategic, passionate, and communicative.

Rebecca (Missie) Hendry & Associates, insurance staff counsel for State Farm Insurance Companies, is seeking a Paralegal to join the St. Petersburg, FL Claim Litigation office. While every day can provide different experiences and opportunities, a Paralegal supports attorneys with drafting, serving, and responding to discovery, as well as trial preparation. The office allows for collaborative environments with experienced peer mentors. There are no billable hours in this opportunity. This role provides diversity of work and the opportunity for career development. This role will interact with clients, experts, and witnesses throughout the litigation process. The position is classified as a hybrid role, meaning that the work arrangement calls for hours in the office and virtually. Everyone in a hybrid role is required to spend time in the office. For an optimal learning experience, the first 60 workdays in the role will be required in office. Work arrangements could change over time based on business needs. Hours for the position are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

LOCATION: 100 2nd Avenue South, Suite 500 S, St. Petersburg FL

The team is comprised of multiple roles and levels including Legal Administrative Support, Legal Secretary, and Paralegal.

Responsibilities of a Legal Secretary include, but are not limited to:

• Apply specialized knowledge of legal procedures
• Calendar management, processing mail, electronic/paper filing
• Schedule litigation events, including depositions, mediations and hearings
• Strong telephone skills
• Initiate contact with clients, courts and vendors

Please only apply for this position if you meet the minimum requirements.

Previous experience strongly preferred

• 3 - 5 years of recent civil defense litigation secretarial experience preferably in insurance defense or personal injury

Key Skills required

• Calendaring and scheduling experience within a legal environment
• Strong organizational skills, prioritizing urgent and non-urgent tasks (items with deadlines, handling demands), multitasking
• E-filing experience
• Knowledge of legal and medical terminology, local and state rules regarding pleadings and pre-trial matters, deadlines, and filing requirement (strongly preferred)
• Ability to adapt to a corporate law environment
• Strong written and oral communication skills (proofreading, attention to detail, formatting)
• Accurate typing skills
• Professional telephone etiquette and interpersonal skills
• Bilingual skills a plus

Technology/software experience required

• Working knowledge of Florida electronic filing system
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Working knowledge of Case Management system
• Working knowledge of Document Storage system
• Working knowledge of Adobe

Additional Details

• Applicants are required to be eligible to lawfully work in the U.S. immediately. State Farm will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work opportunities.

Because work-life balance is a priority at State Farm, compensation is based on our standard 38:45-hour work week!

• Potential starting salary range: $51,886.25- $53,000
• Starting salary will be based on skills, background, and experience
• High end of the range limited to applicants with significant relevant experience
• Potential yearly incentive pay up to 9% of base salary

At State Farm, we offer more than just a paycheck. Check out our suite of benefits designed to give you the flexibility you need to take care of you and your family!

• Get Paid! On top of our competitive pay, you are eligible for an annual raise and bonus.
• Stay Well! Focus on you and your family's health with our robust health and wellbeing programs. State Farm pays most of your healthcare premium, and we offer multiple healthcare plan options, including a high-deductible plan. All medical plans provide 100% coverage for in-network preventative care, AND you and your family have access to vision, dental, telemedicine, 24/7 mental health professionals, and much more!
• Develop and Grow! Take advantage of educational benefits like industry leading training programs, top-notch tuition assistance programs, employee resource groups, and mentoring.
• Plan Ahead! Plan for those big moments in life with benefits like fertility/IVF/adoption assistance, college coaching, national discount programs, interactive monthly financial workshops, free financial coaching, and more. You can also start a savings account or consider financing through our State Farm Federal Credit Union!
• Take a Little "You" Time! You will have access to our generous time off policies designed so you can plan around holidays, family events, volunteering, or just to take a relaxing day off. With the opportunity to initially earn up to 20 days annually plus parental leave, paid holidays, celebration day, life leave (40 hours/year), bereavement leave, and community service/education support days, there will be plenty of time for you!
• Give Back! We offer several ways to give back through our Matching Gift Program, Good Neighbor Grant Program, and the Employee Assistance Fund.
• Finish Strong! Plan for retirement using free financial advisors and a 401(k) plan with company contributions of up to 7% of your salary.

Visit our State Farm Careers page for more information on our benefits, locations, and the hiring process of joining the State Farm team!

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