WELCOME TO ROUND 2! We’re excited to meet you.
This will probably be the longest, most honest, and detailed employment description you will ever read. We want to lay it out, up front, to you what type of person we are looking for and what we expect from you.
We are a small law firm in Vancouver, WA, with 3 attorneys (our entrepreneurial leaders and founders) and 7 committed and dedicated support staff. We are an estate planning and elder law firm. It’s what we do … and we do it well. We are looking for an Associate who can hit the ground running: take ownership of client care and service from beginning to end. This involves educating prospective clients, meeting with clients to determine their needs, designing custom estate plans, handling probate and guardianship matters and assisting with Medicaid applications.
Successful candidates for this position will be as equally driven to serve our clients as we are. Candidates must have a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, a current Oregon or Washington license to practice in good standing, and at least three years of experience in elder law. We are especially looking for candidates who have experience in the area of trust administration and probate.
Candidates must enjoy and be able to support the partners by handling their own casework as assigned and supervised, and consistently meet deadlines. Excellent communication (written and verbal) and research skills are a must.
What are some of the characteristics that any member of our team must have?
- You must be a positive person. If you see the glass half full, you are the type of person we are looking for. Our office does not do well with toxic or negative attitudes, whiners, complainers or victims, and you definitely will not fit in if you even think that you may fit into one of the above categories of negative people.
- We prefer people who are not afraid of computers or learning new things that will make their jobs easier. You must be proficient in working with word processing software, email, document storage systems, conducting electronic legal research, and basic case management. You must not only “follow” policies and procedures, you must embrace them and be thankful they exist.
- You must be able to change gears quickly. You must be able to think on your feet and make smart decisions. If you can’t use common sense and creativity to think on your feet, please do not apply, as you will be wasting your time as well as ours.
- You also need to be detail oriented and willing to go the extra mile to get the job done right the first time. In our practice getting it done right the first time for our clients is very important and we need everyone to work with this goal in mind. If this seems too much to ask of you, don’t apply for this job.
- You must, must, must have emotional intelligence and empathy. You must see client communication and care as a privilege and not an inconvenience, and be able to communicate easily with all types of people. At times, we deal with people who are emotional or not at their best. We often deal with seniors, so if that is a problem, don’t apply.
- You must be a team player. You will be working with other members of our staff and both you and our other staff members are accountable to each other. If you can’t get along with one another and work together to get the job done right the first time, this is not the job for you. We are strong believers in the team approach and our office is a team environment, so if you are not a team player, this is not the job for you. If you think you can fake being a team player, you can’t. Don’t try.
- You need to be able to talk to people in a manner that is polite and puts them at ease. You cannot talk down to anyone that you deal with in our office.
- You should not be a person who gets angry quickly or blows their stack if someone says something you don’t like.
- You need to have compassion when dealing with our clients.
- Additionally, if you are too good, or too smart, or too important to scan your own documents or make a pot of coffee, this is not the right firm for you. If this sounds harsh or unfair, then this is not the job for you, you should stop reading right now.
If at this point you are thinking that this firm will be the worst place to work in the Vancouver area, this is not the job for you. If, on the other hand, you realize that the work environment we have created will help you get your job done efficiently and allow you to meet your personal, professional, and financial goals and also have a life outside of work, then you are the type of candidate we would like to meet with to discuss the opportunity we are offering.
If you are hired, you will be part of a wonderful team of people who work hard to get the job done right the first time and take pride in the work that they do. You will be part of a team that is rewarded for their hard work.
To apply for this position, please answer the following questions and send a cover letter and CV to lawfirmwa@gmx.com. Your CV should include a complete education and employment history, including both undergraduate and law school GPAs, as well as your law school class percentile. In your cover letter, you should describe your passion for helping older adults and your relevant experience. You should also include your salary requirements.
Additionally, please also submit your responses to the following questions:
- What’s a great movie you have seen in the last twelve months?
- What’s the last book you read? How long ago?
- Share with us one personal and one professional goal you have set for yourself to accomplish over the next 12-18 months.
- Share with us the name, email address, and phone number of two professional references. We would prefer an opposing counsel you have faced, a judge you have argued before, or prior supervisors.
We look forward to hearing from you.
