Legal Assistant, Litigation (Intermediate - Senior)

Job summary

The Legal Assistant will coordinate client matters, manage document workflows, and support litigation activities including court filings and trial preparation. They are also responsible for maintaining accurate records, managing lawyer calendars, and assisting with billing and financial administrative tasks.

Job details

Dentons is designed to be different. Our Firm leads the way in a rapidly changing legal marketplace. We challenge the status quo and deliver consistent results as well as uncompromising quality and value to our clients. Our global presence is renowned as a Firm with over 21,000 individuals in more than 200 offices serving clients across 80+ countries. Dentons Canada is committed to its people and communities. We are consistently recognized as an employer of choice having received numerous awards including being selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2026). Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2026), and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2026). This role is an opportunity for you to join Canada’s Global Law Firm, a firm that offers opportunities to build your career while growing your skills and deepening your expertise. POSITION SUMMARY The Legal Assistant, Litigation role requires a unique blend of advanced skills and experience in providing legal administrative support. This position calls for a confident, proactive, and business-minded professional who can manage complex tasks, prioritize effectively, and adapt to changing priorities with ease. As a valued member of our team, you will play a critical role in coordinating client matters, supporting practice management initiatives, and ensuring compliance with firm standards. You bring a willingness to learn and grow while demonstrating sound judgment and independence in handling sophisticated administrative responsibilities. You are personable, organized, discreet, and detail-oriented, with a strong client-first approach to your work. In addition to these qualities, you are reliable, solution-oriented, and believe in frequent and open communication. You understand that successful teams are collaborative and that combining individual strengths leads to the best outcomes. This position is a hybrid role, three days in office and two days remote. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Coordinate new business intake and file openings, including client information, conflict checks, engagement letters, and required documentation in accordance with firm procedures. Coordinate document workflow, including drafting from precedents, editing, formatting, finalizing, filing, and distributing legal documents and correspondence. Provide advanced word processing support, including document comparisons, blacklines, and preparation of client-ready materials. Maintain accurate document, client, and matter records within firm systems, including CRM databases, bring-forward systems, limitation tracking, and critical deadlines. Maintain calendars, meetings, travel, court dates, boardroom bookings, catering, and other scheduling requirements for lawyers and team members. Monitor tasks, deadlines, and matter progress to ensure legal files remain organized and on track. Prepare court forms and pleadings from precedents, coordinate filing and service of court documents, and maintain electronic and physical court records. Assist with hearings, trials, examinations for discovery, and related litigation activities, including preparation of court materials, binders, and supporting documentation. Coordinate bookings for motions, applications, discoveries, trials, and other court proceedings. Conduct legal and due diligence searches, including case law, land, personal property, and court record searches. Utilize litigation support tools, online court filing systems, and limitation-tracking software while maintaining knowledge of applicable court rules and procedures. Support billing and financial management, including time entry review, invoice preparation, WIP and AR monitoring, and adherence to firm financial practices. Process financial transactions and expense reports, including cheque requisitions, wire transfers, and trust deposits. Serve as a primary point of contact for lawyers, clients, opposing counsel, and internal teams, facilitating effective communication and collaboration. Support cross-region matters, matter credit management, compliance initiatives, and audits. Coordinate administrative activities throughout the matter lifecycle, including file transfers, closures, and records management. Contribute to process improvements, knowledge sharing, and team training and mentoring initiatives. QUALIFICATIONS Completion of a legal support program (Legal Assistant, Law Clerk, Paralegal) or equivalent preferred. 5+ years of experience in a legal assistant or legal administrative role within a law firm. Advanced proficiency with legal technology, including Microsoft Office, CRM, and secure file-sharing platforms. Strong understanding of legal documents, procedures, and practice-specific legal software. Proficiency with document management and law firm financial systems. Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines independently while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. Strong grammar, proofreading, and document quality control skills. Professional and effective verbal and written communication with clients and colleagues. Demonstrates reliability, confidentiality, adaptability, sound judgment, and a commitment to ethical standards. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Self-motivated, proactive, and forward-thinking. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. This role is a replacement role. The target salary range for this position is $60,000 – $80,000, commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications. Dentons is committed to equitable and competitive compensation. This target range falls within our internal salary ranges, which are based on comparable roles in the external market. We strive to hire, promote, and transfer individuals at the entry point of the range, with consideration given to prior experience, relevant skills, and market conditions. We recognize that rewarding exceptional talent goes beyond salary. Our comprehensive total rewards package includes inclusive and flexible benefits that support the wellbeing and development of our people. This includes extended health and mental health benefits, paid time off, retirement savings plans, a fitness subsidy, parental leave top-up, and more. In addition, our learning and development programs—such as mentorship opportunities, employee networks, and leadership development initiatives—are designed to support personal and professional growth. At Dentons, all candidate screening, assessment, and hiring decisions are made by people. From time to time, we use AI-enabled tools to assist in enhancing our recruitment process and materials; however, these tools do not screen candidates or make hiring decisions. Note: Availability of benefits and programs may vary depending on your location and employment type and may be subject to eligibility criteria. Dentons reserves the right to modify or discontinue offerings, in whole or in part, at its discretion and without prior notice. Equal Opportunity Statement At Dentons Canada, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) are not just ancillary values, they are foundational to our business. We believe that IDEA is essential to the shared success of our team and our clients. Our forward-thinking and inclusive culture supports the professional development of all our people, enhances the leading services we offer to our clients, and informs our commitment to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work. As a testament to our commitment to IDEA, we have been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employer’s for 15 consecutive years (2011-2026), as well as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2026) for the eighth time. Dentons Canada is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome your application. All employment decisions, including hiring, will be made without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, colour, creed, disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender identity, marital status, place of origin, race, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable human rights legislation. We are committed to providing you with an inclusive, barrier-free, and accessible workplace to support your success. Should you require accommodation during the recruitment process, for example as a result of a disability, please contact us at [email protected].

What you’ll do

The Legal Assistant will coordinate client matters, manage document workflows, and support litigation activities including court filings and trial preparation. They are also responsible for maintaining accurate records, managing lawyer calendars, and assisting with billing and financial administrative tasks.

Requirements

Candidates must have at least 5 years of experience in a legal assistant or administrative role within a law firm. A legal support program certification is preferred, along with advanced proficiency in legal technology and document management systems.

Benefits

• Extended health benefits • Mental health benefits • Paid time off • Retirement savings plans • Fitness subsidy • Parental leave top-up • Mentorship opportunities • Leadership development initiatives

Listed skills

• Organization · Preferred
• Attention to detail · Preferred
• case management · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Microsoft Office · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Litigation support
• Legal document drafting
• Case management
• Court filing
• Document management
• Conflict checks
• Billing and financial management
• Time entry
• Legal research
• Due diligence
• Microsoft Office
• CRM software
• Proofreading
• Communication
• Attention to detail
• Organization
• Legal Support
• Invoice Review
• Document Management
• Administrative Support
• Case Law
• Litigation Support
• Workflow Management
• Legal Technology
• Expense Reports
• Legal Discovery
• Software Proficiency
• Time Off Management
• Solution-Oriented
• Legal Pleadings
• Effective Communication
• Willingness To Learn
• Ethical Standards And Conduct
• Court Proceedings
• Legal Hearings
• Self-Motivation
• Adaptability
• Artificial Intelligence
• Editing
• Auditing
• Mental Health
• Billing
• Customer Relationship Management
• Lawsuits
• Confidentiality
• Credit Management
• Word Processing
• Due Diligence
• Records Management
• Financial Management

Job areas

• Legal
• Administrative
• Litigation Legal Assistant
• Paralegal / Legal Assistant
• Legal and Related Associate Professionals
• Paralegals and Legal Assistants