Paralegal Senior / Risk Management / Full-time

POSITION SUMMARY: The Senior Litigation Paralegal (SLP) supports CHRISTUS St. Vincent, CHRISTUS Health, and their attorneys in connection with legal assertions, claims, and litigation. This position works in conjunction with and under the supervision of designated attorneys and may have significant interaction with outside counsel and other Legal and Risk department personnel. This position serves as primary contact for all defense counsel discovery requests and will coordinate witness interviews for defense counsel or the CH legal department. This position will respond to legal inquiries as requested, maintain a diary system of inquiries and ensure compliance of all deadlines as prescribed by the court system; monitor statutes of limitations on all attorney notices and NMMRC files and close as appropriate. The SLP will conduct legal and regulatory research as needed, answer legal inquiries and refer to CH Legal department as needed. The Senior Paralegal will be the primary contact for any legal matters and will consult with CH Legal or the Director of Risk Management (DRM) when needed. The Senior Paralegal will maintain regular communication with the DRM and provide reports as requested. The Senior Paralegal will maintain a high level of confidentiality with all matters concerning litigation, will follow all hospital policies, and take on other responsibilities as assigned. Must have the ability to exercise independent judgement as appropriate within the scope of assigned responsibilities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree is preferred.

CERTIFICATION/LICENSES: Paralegal Certificate from an accredited paralegal program is preferred.

SKILLS:

• Ability to operate independently and participate in risk team environment
• Maintain extreme confidentiality under all circumstances
• Excellent reading, writing and editing skills
• Excellent communication skills with all audience types
• Ability to interact with associates
• Must have excellent critical thinking and problem-solving ability
• Orientation to be proactive in preventing problems.
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail and good follow-through on projects/issues.
• Exhibit discretion, sound decision-making, time management, and teamwork.
• Experience working with medical malpractice litigation, data management, legal research, and other electronic systems used in litigation
• Proficiency in Word, database management, and Excel

EXPERIENCE: 5 years of relevant paralegal experience in an in-house law department or law firm, handling a significant caseload of medical malpractice matters and responsible for support in all phases of litigation.

NATURE OF SUPERVISION:

-Responsible to: System Vice President, Litigation Counsel

ENVIRONMENT:

-Bloodborne pathogen: A

Normal office conditions in a temperature-controlled environment

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Frequent use of computer monitor screens
• Retrieval of medical records from shelves
• Ability to walk and sit for long periods
• Lifts up to 10 pounds with occasional lifting and/or carrying of objects
• Ability to climb, bend, twist, stoop, kneel and reach