Sholes & Miller is currently seeking two outstanding professionals. Open positions are for Senior Litigation Attorney and Junior General Practice Attorney. To apply for either position, email your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to Julieanne MacDonald, Firm Administrator, at JM@sholesmiller.com.
Senior Associate – Trial Attorney
The attorney will manage a full-time caseload of litigation matters, from inception through trial and will also conduct hearings in Mental Hygiene Law proceedings. The practice includes medical/hospital/nursing home malpractice defense; premises and general liability defense; defense of licensed professionals in disciplinary matters; commercial litigation; and plaintiffs’ personal injury.
Responsibilities:
- Manage a full-time caseload of litigation matters from inception through trial.
- Keep the insurance claims examiner, client and partner assigned to each matter regularly informed of its status.
- Draft correspondence, and communicate with clients, investigators and insurance claims personnel as necessary by telephone and in writing.
- Draft pleadings and discovery demands.
- Draft responses to discovery demands from other parties.
- Visit clients’ facilities when necessary, for inspection of location of the events mentioned in the pleadings.
- Attend court conferences.
- Draft cogent, complete and timely letters and reports to insurers and clients as required.
- Make and oppose motions, investigate facts, obtain, review and analyze medical records.
- Identify and interview witnesses; conduct questioning of parties and witnesses at depositions.
- Prepare clients and witnesses for depositions, represent and defend witnesses at depositions.
- Identify and prepare experts as necessary, meeting all court-ordered deadlines, prepare for trial, create exhibits and/or PowerPoint presentations for use in court.
- Conduct legal research and draft memorandums of law prior to, and attend, trials as assigned by the managing attorney.
The ideal candidate will have:
- A minimum of five years of civil litigation experience or experience as a prosecutor in New York Courts, including depositions and court conferences as well as some successful first seat Jury trial experience.
- An active license in good standing to practice law in the state of New York.
- The ability to remain organized and efficient while managing multiple matters.
- Analytical skills; problem solving skills and good judgement; the ability to present statements of fact and law; and argue clearly and logically in written and oral form.
- The ability to communicate complex information actively, clearly and concisely in written and spoken English; listen well; ask relevant questions; and give and receive clear and understandable instructions.
- The ability to function both independently and in a team environment and, when necessary, to work more than eight hours in a day or to work additional hours on non-business days.
- The ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
- A verifiably clean driving record, since the attorney will travel to courts, depositions and meetings on firm business.
- Familiarity with Westlaw or similar electronic legal research tools.
- Experience, education, or training in a health profession is a plus.
- The ability to speak and read Spanish or other second language is a plus.
To apply for the position of Senior Associate Litigation Attorney, email your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to Julieanne MacDonald, Firm Administrator, at JM@sholesmiller.com.
Junior Associate – General Practice
This position is for an attorney with experience between entry-level and three years. The attorney will assist the experienced attorneys with litigation matters with the responsibilities listed below. After gaining experience and further training, the attorney will also conduct hearings in Mental Hygiene Law proceedings. The practice includes general practice, medical/hospital/nursing home malpractice defense; premises and general liability defense; defense of licensed professionals in disciplinary matters; commercial litigation; and plaintiffs’ personal injury.
Responsibilities:
Activities may include, depending on the attorney’s interests and experience:
- Assisting in litigation, including attendance at court conferences and depositions.
- Estate planning, wills and probate.
- Mental Hygiene law proceedings and guardianships, including conducting hearings.
- Reviewing and drafting contracts and other business documents.
- Real estate transactions.
- Legal research and motions.
- Title IX investigations and proceedings.
- Advising clients.
- Under supervision initially, working on litigation matters when assigned, from inception through note of issue, including motions, keeping the insurance claims examiner, client and partner assigned to each matter regularly informed of its status.
- Drafting correspondence, communicating with clients, investigators and insurance claims personnel as necessary, by telephone and in writing.
- Drafting pleadings and discovery demands.
- Drafting responses to discovery demands from other parties.
- Visiting clients’ facilities when necessary, for inspection of location of the events mentioned in the pleadings.
- Attending court conferences.
- Drafting cogent, complete, and timely letters and reports to insurers and clients as required; making and opposing motions; investigating facts; obtaining, reviewing, and analyzing medical records.
- Identifying and interviewing witnesses, conducting questioning of parties and witnesses at depositions.
- Preparing our clients and witnesses for depositions.
- Representing and defending witnesses at depositions.
- Identifying and preparing experts as necessary, meeting all court ordered deadlines and assisting in preparation for trial.
- Creating exhibits and/or PowerPoint presentations for use in court.
- Conducting legal research and drafting memorandums of law prior to trials as assigned.
The ideal candidate will have:
- An active license in good standing to practice law in the state of New York.
- The ability to remain organized and efficient while managing multiple matters.
- Analytical skills, problem solving skills and good judgement; the ability to present statements of fact and law; and argue clearly and logically in written and oral form.
- The ability to communicate complex information actively, clearly and concisely in written and spoken English; listen well; ask relevant questions; and give and receive clear and understandable instructions.
- The ability to function both independently and in a team environment and, when necessary, to work more than eight hours in a day or to work additional hours on non-business days.
- The ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
- A verifiably clean driving record since the attorney will travel to courts, depositions, and meetings on firm business.
- Familiarity with Westlaw or similar electronic legal research tools.
- Compliance with state continuing legal education requirements.
- Experience, education, or training in a health profession is a plus.
- The ability to speak and read Spanish or other second language is a plus.
To apply for the position of Junior Associate General Practice Attorney, email your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to Julieanne MacDonald, Firm Administrator, at JM@sholesmiller.com.
Working Environment:
- Pleasant collegial team based in modern offices in a business park setting convenient to highways. Attorneys may work remotely and/or use the office when they wish.
- Attorneys are required to work a minimum of 1,800 billable hours annually. However, the firm leaves to the attorney’s discretion how to best manage her/his time, including scheduling time away from the office in accord with full-time responsibilities. The firm understands the importance of time away from the office for rest and relaxation with the recognition that attorney’s must always monitor and manage their clients and cases responsibly. If an Attorney will be unavailable while away from the office for vacation or any other reason, the attorney must arrange for another attorney at the firm to cover and take responsibility for the absent attorney’s matters.
Professionalism:
Every employee of the firm, including each attorney, is expected to exhibit professionalism through a consistent commitment to the maintenance of excellent work relationships and the development of the legal, communication and other professional skills needed to allow the employee, and by extension the firm, to provide the highest possible level of service to our clients.
All personnel at Sholes & Miller are expected to treat their coworkers, clients and the firm’s business associates with courtesy, good manners, helpfulness and civility always, and to maintain a relaxed and safe professional environment. Compliance with the firm’s anti-harassment policies and educational requirements are required.
Compensation/Benefits:
- Competitive Salary commensurate with experience.
- The firm provides employment and benefits through a Professional Employment Organization called ADP TotalSource. (Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401k plan match, Long-term Disability, Short-term Disability, HSA, Consumer Health and Savings Account (Parking/Transit), etc.)
- The firm pays the attorney’s professional liability insurance, one bar association membership and license re-registration fees.
- The firm offers nearly unlimited continuing legal education opportunities though Westlegaledcenter.com, at the firm’s expense.