Associate Attorney

Can you imagine going to work every day knowing that you're making a positive difference in our community? Our law firm exists to help entrepreneurs and small business owners with the legal issues that keep them up at night. We take pride in seeing our clients’ businesses grow and thrive, helping new products enter the marketplace, and helping to create family-sustaining jobs at high-growth businesses. We also help real estate investors and homeowners buy and sell properties through our real estate transaction practice. We are looking for an experienced Associate Attorney for our fast-growing law firm. Our firm is small enough that everyone is a critical part of the team, yet big enough to offer the security and benefits you want. Work where you know the owner, have daily interaction with our clients, and participate as a vital player on a high-growth team. We provide opportunities for our team members to grow personally, professionally, and financially.

Who is the Perfect Candidate? We aren’t like other law firms. That’s not necessarily “good” or “bad.” It just is. It works for us. Therefore, we think it is fair – and important – to lay out, up front, what type of person we are looking for and what we expect from you. Your primary duties will be (1) assume full responsibility for the legal production pipeline, from intake to delivery of work to the client; (2) manage a dynamic caseload; and (3) ensure all legal work is completed efficiently, accurately, and on-time. To be successful, you must be confident, flexible, growth-minded, comfortable in a fast-paced environment, responsive, and a thorough and precise researcher, writer, and speaker. We think the right candidate will have between 3-7 years of experience handling litigation and/or transactional matters. If you have no legal experience, please do not apply. We need someone who can hit the ground running.

Our firm is not the type of firm that wants to be the fourth year of law school. You must be good with basic technology. Experience with the Mac and Windows Operating Systems, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Casemaker, Rocket Matter, G Suite and/or Dropbox is preferred but not required. You must have an active law license in Pennsylvania. Excellent references required. As a precursor to scheduling an in-person interview, we invite you to learn more about the type of person we are looking for and the type of firm culture we are building. If you are interested, you will follow the instructions at the end to send us your résumé. 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. We have a zero-tolerance policy for toxic people and workplace drama. Our team is outstanding and does amazing work. We do not do well with 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 need people who are not afraid of computers or learning new things that will make their jobs easier.

You must be proficient with Word, Outlook, Dropbox, electronic legal research, and basic case management. Also, we’re looking for someone who not only “follows” policies and procedures, but also embraces them and are thankful they exist. In fact, if you get excited about creating new policies, procedures, templates, checklists or systems because you know they make your life easier, you’ll probably make your way to the top of our list. We need high energy and enthusiasm for the work we do (and life in general). You must be able to work fast and change gears quickly. You must be able to think on your feet and make smart decisions. You also need to be detail oriented. We plan to help a lot of people launch businesses and create lasting opportunities. We produce significant amounts of work on sometimes tight schedules. Working fast is no excuse for careless mistakes. No one’s life or business should be negatively impacted because our firm didn’t file the right documents, do the right searches, or meet deadlines. It can’t happen. You must be 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.

You must, must, must have emotional intelligence and empathy. You cannot be someone who does not take criticism well or cannot deal well with people. You must be a team player. Our team is growing, and you will be instrumental in that growth. 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 confident, kind, and candid. You might need to deliver difficult messages with compassion and without talking down, barking, snapping. You must be able and willing to confront issues early and head-on to help the team grow and thrive. While it is important to show that you care about our clients, it is more important to actually care about them.

If, while you are reading this, you were distracted by the buzz of your cellphone or a Facebook alert, this might not be the job for you. If you think there are many good reasons not to show up to work on time, or if you need take several coffee, smoke, or cell phone breaks during the workday, this job is not for you. If you want to spend time Monday through Friday from 8-5 surfing the internet, Facebooking, or chatting on the phone and still expect to be paid, this is not the job for you.

If you are the type of person who stays on your cell phone having a conversation while you are placing a food order, ordering coffee, or in the check-out line face-to-face with a cashier, this is not the job for you. And you should stop doing that because it is rude.

If you are one of those people who seems to get sick a lot on Friday mornings or Sunday nights, this really is not the job for you. We know and understand the difference between “sick” andsick. We give reasonable PTO. We know how to spot a pattern. If you get “sick” when it is convenient for you and don’t care what your long weekend does to the rest of the team, please do not apply for this position.

If you think your juris doctorate and years of work experience mean that you are too good or valuable or important to make coffee, stuff envelopes, or scan your own documents, this is absolutely, positively not the job for you. These are not necessarily tasks you will perform on a daily basis, but if you kill the Joe, you make some mo’. (See, e.g., Terry Tate, Office Linebacker).

If you think our office sounds like a no-fun, no-good place to be, this is not the job for you. If this sounds harsh or unfair, then this is not the job for you. You should stop reading this ad right now.

If, on the other hand, you realize that the work environment we have created will help you get your job done efficiently, with other people who love their job, while helping people who really need it, and allow you to earn a great income, and also have a life outside of work, then you are the type of candidate we would like to meet.

If you have gotten this far and are thinking about applying, it means that you are ready for a challenge and want to be part of a team that helps people and rewards good work. Or maybe you’re just interested in hearing some bad jokes at an interview.

Other requirements include the following:

• Conveys confidence in person and on the phone,
• Shows empathy to clients and puts them at ease during challenging times,
• Demonstrates exceptional communication skills,
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and G-Suite
• Go-getter with a strong work ethic

Since opening our doors in 2010, our firm has had the pleasure of helping hundreds of small businesses and entrepreneurs start, grow, and manage their organizations. Now, with a growing staff and a deep-rooted love for our Flagship City, we aim to continue operating as Erie's first choice for business legal services. Our team of business attorneys understands the importance of working with trusted advisors when starting and growing a business. Through a passion for the Erie community and a drive to empower its budding business owners, our firm knows just how vital small business success is to the Erie region.

What sets us apart: In 2020, we were ranked the #68 fastest growing law firm in the country. We were #2 in Pennsylvania. We think this feat is even more impressive because we are located in one of the slowest-growing, least-entrepreneurial areas of the country. And it wasn't a fluke. The ranking was based on 3-year revenue growth. We have found even more significant ways to help our clients throughout the pandemic, which means our growth will continue.

• Healthcare
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Days