Litigation Attorney (Trial)
hace 15 días
Lafayette
Job DescriptionPOSITION SUMMARY The Trial Attorney is responsible for litigating Louisiana personal injury matters from suit filing through resolution, including trial when necessary. This role takes ownership of cases once litigation begins and is responsible for developing litigation strategy, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, working with experts, negotiating from a position of strength, and preparing every case as if it will ultimately be tried. You will primarily handle auto and trucking collisions, premises liability matters, catastrophic injury claims, and wrongful death cases. This is not a position for an attorney who simply manages a litigation docket. We are looking for someone who moves cases. You will make strategic decisions, hold opposing counsel accountable, prepare thoroughly, communicate directly with clients, and know when a case should settle and when the firm needs to take it to a jury. You will have support from paralegals, case managers, and firm leadership, along with modern, fully paperless systems that allow you to spend your time practicing law rather than managing paperwork. KEY RESPONSIBILITIESLitigation Strategy and Case Ownership • Manage a docket of litigated Louisiana personal injury matters from suit filing through settlement, trial, or other final resolution, • Develop and execute an individualized litigation strategy for each assigned case, • Evaluate liability, causation, damages, insurance coverage, defenses, and litigation risk, • Identify the evidence, testimony, experts, and discovery necessary to prove each element of the client's claim, • Establish litigation timelines and proactively move cases toward meaningful resolution, • Continuously evaluate case value as evidence developsPleadings, Motions, and Discovery, • Draft, review, and file petitions, amended pleadings, motions, oppositions, memoranda, and other court filings, • Draft and respond to interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, and other written discovery, • Review medical records, accident documentation, employment records, expert materials, and other evidence, • Handle discovery disputes and motions to compel when necessary, • Prepare and argue dispositive, evidentiary, discovery, and pretrial motions, • Ensure all court, discovery, scheduling order, and prescription deadlines are met without exceptionDepositions and Expert Development, • Take and defend depositions of plaintiffs, defendants, fact witnesses, corporate representatives, treating providers, and experts, • Prepare clients thoroughly for deposition testimony, • Identify, retain, prepare, and work closely with liability, medical, vocational, economic, life care planning, reconstruction, and other experts as appropriate, • Evaluate opposing expert opinions and develop effective strategies for cross-examination, • Use deposition testimony strategically to strengthen settlement value and trial positioningMediation and Settlement, • Develop mediation and settlement strategy based on the evidence developed through litigation, • Prepare mediation statements and supporting materials, • Represent clients in mediations and settlement conferences, • Negotiate directly with defense counsel, insurers, and other parties, • Provide clients with clear recommendations regarding settlement offers while allowing them to make informed decisions, • Recognize when further negotiation is unlikely to produce a fair outcome and trial preparation needs to continueTrial Preparation and Trial, • Prepare assigned cases for trial from the earliest stages of litigation rather than waiting for a trial date, • Develop case themes, witness strategy, demonstrative evidence, exhibits, and trial presentations, • Prepare witnesses, treating providers, experts, and clients for testimony, • Draft pretrial orders, motions in limine, jury instructions, verdict forms, witness lists, exhibit lists, and other trial materials, • Conduct jury selection, opening statements, direct examinations, cross-examinations, and closing arguments, • Serve as lead or second-chair trial counsel depending on case complexity and experience, • Maintain command of the evidentiary record throughout trial, • Evaluate post-trial issues and coordinate appellate strategy with firm leadership when necessaryClient Advocacy and Communication, • Serve as the primary attorney and legal strategist for assigned litigation clients, • Explain litigation strategy, case developments, settlement opportunities, and trial risk in language clients can understand, • Maintain proactive attorney contact throughout the litigation process, • Prepare clients for depositions, independent medical examinations, mediation, and trial, • Set realistic expectations regarding timelines, case value, uncertainty, and potential outcomes, • Ensure clients understand both the opportunities and risks associated with major litigation decisionsLitigation Team Leadership, • Direct paralegals and case managers supporting assigned litigation matters, • Clearly delegate discovery, records, scheduling, medical chronology, expert coordination, and trial preparation responsibilities, • Review delegated work for quality and completeness, • Keep case strategy, deadlines, notes, and litigation status current in the firm's case management system, • Conduct regular file reviews and identify cases requiring immediate action, • Collaborate with pre-litigation attorneys regarding cases transitioning into litigation, • Provide strategic guidance regarding whether cases should be litigated before suit is filed CORE COMPETENCIES • Trial mentality. You prepare cases to win at trial, even when you believe they will ultimately settle., • Ownership. Once a case enters your litigation docket, you know its strategy, deadlines, weaknesses, and next move., • Preparation. Depositions, hearings, mediations, and trials are won before you ever walk into the room., • Judgment. You know when litigation increases leverage and when additional litigation simply increases expense., • Advocacy. You are comfortable challenging opposing counsel, experts, insurers, and witnesses when the case requires it., • Urgency. Litigation files do not sit untouched waiting for someone to ask what happens next., • Client empathy. You understand that litigation may be routine to you, but it is anything but routine for the person you represent., • Communication. Clients and your internal team know what is happening, what comes next, and what you need from them., • Leadership. You know how to use a litigation support team effectively instead of trying to personally perform every task., • Ethical backbone. You protect the integrity of the case, the client, and the firm even when doing so is inconvenient. HOW SUCCESS IS MEASURED Performance in this role is reviewed at 90 days, at six months, and annually. These are the measures that matter: • Litigation docket moves consistently without unnecessary periods of inactivity, • Court, discovery, prescription, and scheduling order deadlines are met with zero missed deadlines, • Depositions, hearings, mediations, and trials are thoroughly prepared, • Favorable settlement and verdict outcomes relative to documented case valuation and litigation risk, • Cases progress from filing toward resolution within appropriate timelines based on case complexity, • Discovery is timely, complete, and strategically aligned with the theory of the case, • Case strategy and next steps are clearly documented for every active litigation file, • Material case developments are documented in the case management system within 48 hours, • Attorney communication with clients occurs consistently throughout litigation, • Clients are meaningfully prepared before depositions, mediations, medical examinations, and trial, • Legal writing and litigation work product require minimal substantive revision, • Experts are identified and retained early enough to avoid unnecessary continuances or case delays, • Litigation support staff receive clear direction and assigned matters move without intervention from firm leadership, • Trial readiness increases throughout the life of the case rather than beginning when a trial date approaches, • Strong client satisfaction, closing reviews, and referral outcomes Requirements QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCERequired • Juris Doctor from an accredited law school, • Active admission to practice law in Louisiana state courts and Louisiana Bar license in good standing, • Meaningful litigation experience handling personal injury, insurance defense, civil litigation, or comparable matters, • Demonstrated experience taking and defending depositions, • Strong working knowledge of Louisiana civil procedure, evidence, discovery rules, prescription periods, and court practice, • Excellent written and oral advocacy skills, • Strong legal research, motion practice, and case analysis capabilities, • Ability to independently manage a litigation docket with multiple competing deadlines, • Ability to travel for depositions, mediations, hearings, and trialsPreferred, • Plaintiff-side personal injury litigation experience, • First-chair or substantial second-chair jury trial experience, • Experience litigating catastrophic injury, trucking, wrongful death, or complex liability matters, • Experience handling expert-intensive litigation, • Experience practicing in Louisiana state courts, • Federal court litigation experience, • Experience handling Daubert motions, dispositive motions, and complex evidentiary issues, • Familiarity with Louisiana medical liens and Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement matters, • Bilingual in English and Spanish Benefits BENEFITS • Health care plan (medical, dental, and vision), • Retirement plan with 401(k) participation, • Critical illness and cancer ancillary plans, • Life insurance (basic, voluntary, and AD&D), • Short term and long term disability coverage, • Paid time off, including vacation and paid holidays, • Ongoing training and professional development, • Fully paperless, cloud based systems so your day is spent on client work instead of filing
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