WHO WE ARE
We are a small estate planning law firm in South Pasadena.
We help individuals and families put thoughtful plans in place for the people and things that matter most to them. Because we are a small firm, we place a high value on personal service, responsiveness, careful work, and treating people well.
We are looking for a Client Service & Executive Assistant who wants to play an important role in helping us do that.
This is not a narrowly defined corporate administrative position. In a small firm, there are fewer layers and fewer people to hand things off to. The person in this role will help with client service, prospective-client follow-up, scheduling, office administration, document preparation, executive assistance, and occasional reasonable personal assistance to the firm's partners.
Some days you may spend significant time communicating with clients and prospective clients. Other days may involve preparing documents for signing, following up on outstanding matters, organizing the office, helping manage schedules, or taking care of the many small things that allow a professional office to run smoothly.
We are looking for someone who takes real satisfaction in doing those things exceptionally well.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
More than a particular degree, job title, or industry background, we care about:
• Reliability
• Integrity
• Judgment
• Warmth
• Attention to detail
• Organization
• Initiative
• Follow-through
• Accountability
• A genuine desire to be helpful
The right person likes being the person others can depend on.
You enjoy creating order, helping people, keeping track of details, and closing open loops. You notice things that need attention. When you say you will do something, you do it. When something goes wrong, you communicate about it rather than hoping no one notices.
You understand that following instructions carefully and exercising initiative are not opposites. You can work within an established system while also recognizing opportunities to improve it-and you know when to ask before changing a process.
You also understand that excellent service often consists of ordinary things done consistently well: returning a call, following up again, preparing documents correctly, making sure a conference room is ready, noticing that supplies are running low, or remembering something that would otherwise fall through the cracks.
If that kind of responsibility is satisfying to you, you may be a very good fit here.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Client and Prospective-Client Service
You will often be one of the first people someone interacts with when contacting our firm.
• Answering incoming telephone calls warmly and professionally
• Communicating with clients and prospective clients by telephone, email, and text
• Learning enough about a prospective client's needs to help determine the appropriate next step
• Helping prospective clients schedule consultations
• Following up consistently with prospective clients in accordance with the firm's follow-up procedures
• Making outbound follow-up calls, including multiple follow-up attempts when appropriate
• Following up with existing clients regarding outstanding information, documents, appointments, invoices, and next steps
• Sending routine reminders and client communications
• Greeting clients when they arrive
• Offering refreshments and helping create a comfortable, professional experience during client meetings
Good follow-up is an important part of this position. If making several respectful attempts to reach someone who has not yet responded feels uncomfortable or bothersome to you, this may not be the right role.
Administrative and Office Support
You will help keep the firm's daily operations organized and moving forward.
• Scheduling appointments and assisting with calendar management
• Monitoring outstanding tasks and making sure matters do not fall through the cracks
• Preparing, printing, scanning, organizing, and assembling estate planning documents
• Preparing documents and the office for signing appointments
• Maintaining accurate and organized electronic and physical files
• Updating information in the firm's software systems
• Ordering and maintaining office supplies
• Keeping conference rooms, work areas, the kitchen, and other common areas clean, organized, professional, and ready for clients
• Straightening and organizing the office as needed throughout the day
• Helping identify small problems before they become larger ones
This position includes routine administrative work. We do not consider tasks such as printing, scanning, organizing, maintaining supplies, preparing a room for clients, or straightening the office to be beneath anyone. They are part of providing excellent service and operating a professional office.
Executive and Personal Assistance
Because this is a small firm, you will also support the firm's partners directly.
• Helping organize schedules and administrative priorities
• Anticipating routine needs
• Researching or coordinating appointments, purchases, or services
• Assisting with occasional reasonable personal errands or tasks
• Looking for appropriate ways to make the partners' workdays more organized and efficient
We are not looking for someone who simply waits for a list of assignments. Over time, we want you to understand how the office operates well enough to recognize what needs attention and take appropriate ownership of it.
HOW WE THINK ABOUT WORK
A small professional-services business operates differently from a large organization.
Every person's performance is noticeable.
Excellent client service matters. Returning calls matters. Prospective-client follow-up matters. Accurate documents matter. Wasted time matters. Unnecessary expenses matter. Keeping commitments matters.
You do not need to have owned a business or worked in a law firm to understand this. But you should appreciate the basic reality that for a small business to serve its clients, accomplish its mission, and provide meaningful employment, the business must be successful.
We want someone who cares about the success of the organization they work for-not just whether the items on today's task list have been checked off.
That does not mean working unreasonable hours or being expected to solve every problem yourself. It means understanding how your work fits into the larger purpose of the firm and taking appropriate ownership of your responsibilities.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
You will be doing well in this role when:
• Clients feel welcomed, respected, and well cared for.
• Calls and messages receive prompt attention.
• Prospective clients receive consistent follow-up.
• Outstanding matters are tracked until there is a clear next step or resolution.
• Signing appointments are properly prepared.
• Documents and files are organized accurately.
• The office is clean, orderly, stocked, and ready for clients.
• The partners do not have to repeatedly remind you about assigned responsibilities.
• When you are uncertain, you ask rather than guess.
• When you make a mistake, you promptly communicate it and help correct it.
• You identify appropriate ways to make the office function better.
• The partners have increasing confidence that when something has been entrusted to you, it will be handled.
This Position May Be a Good Fit for You If You:
• Naturally follow through
• Like helping people
• Enjoy being organized
• Communicate comfortably by telephone
• Are comfortable making outbound calls
• Can keep track of multiple unfinished matters at once
• Take pride in accurate work
• Like creating order from small details
• Are comfortable with both client-facing and behind-the-scenes responsibilities
• Don't need every task to be exciting in order to do it well
• Are willing to ask questions when something is unclear
• Prefer to address mistakes openly rather than conceal them
• Enjoy making life easier for the people you support
• Want to continually improve your skills and judgment
• Would enjoy being an important part of a very small professional office
This Position Is Probably Not a Good Fit If You:
• You strongly dislike telephone work or outbound follow-up
• You become uncomfortable contacting someone more than once
• You consider routine administrative or office tasks beneath you
• You need frequent reminders to complete unfinished work
• You tend to change established procedures without discussing the change
• You prefer a narrowly defined job where responsibilities rarely extend beyond a fixed list
• You are primarily looking for a pathway into substantive legal work
• You are uncomfortable working closely with the partners of a small business
• You would prefer a large organization with multiple layers of management and highly specialized roles
There is nothing wrong with wanting those things. They simply describe a different job.
QUALIFICATIONS
You should have:
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Comfort communicating by telephone, email, and text
• Comfort using Microsoft Word, Outlook, and web-based software
• The ability to learn new software and procedures
• The ability to reliably work in person at our South Pasadena office
• A high school diploma or equivalent
Prior experience in one or more of the following is helpful but not required:
• Administrative or executive assistance
• Customer or client service
• Hospitality
• Professional offices
• Medical or dental offices
• Financial services
• Legal offices
• Telephone-based customer service
• Appointment scheduling
• Prospective-client follow-up
• Personal assistance
Prior legal experience is not required. We would rather hire someone with excellent judgment, communication skills, integrity, and follow-through and teach that person our systems.
SCHEDULE AND COMPENSATION
This is a full-time, in-person position at our South Pasadena office.
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Compensation: $30-$36 per hour, depending on experience, capabilities, and fit for the responsibilities of the position.
OUR HIRING PROCESS
We take hiring seriously because we are a small firm and the person who joins us will have a meaningful effect on our clients, our partners, and our daily working environment.
Candidates who appear to be a strong match may be asked to participate in:
1. An initial screening interview
2. A short written or practical exercise
3. A telephone role-playing exercise involving fictional client situations
4. One or more additional interviews
5. Professional reference checks
Any practical exercise will use fictional information and is intended to evaluate skills relevant to the position.
We would rather take the time to find the right person than hire quickly simply to fill a position.
HOW TO APPLY
Please email your resume together with a brief response addressing the following three questions:
1. What are the three qualities you believe are most important for someone in this position, and why?
2. What specifically about this position made you interested in applying?
3. Tell us about a situation in which you were expected to follow an established procedure or set of instructions, even though another approach might have been easier or faster. What did you do?
The response should be in a separate Word document in single-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font. Please keep your response concise. Please do not use AI of any kind when creating your responses. This task is to determine your independent abilities, and not your ability to use AI. We are more interested in the substance and thoughtfulness of your answers than in receiving a lengthy cover letter.
Please also include only the following in your email:
“I have read the complete job description and understand the responsibilities of the position.”
Following these application instructions is part of our initial evaluation process.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.