Legal Specialist

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive.  Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm.  Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career.  Let’s see what we can achieve. Together.

Summary

The Legal Specialist, Copy Editor, working in collaboration with and in support of the firm’s strategic initiatives, is responsible for reviewing, editing, and refining pre-bill narrative content to ensure client invoices accurately reflect legal services performed and are aligned with firm billing standards, client guidelines, and attorney expectations. This role partners closely with attorneys, billing professionals, and finance teams to enhance the quality, consistency, clarity, and professionalism of billing narratives prior to invoice submission. The successful candidate combines legal knowledge, billing process experience, and exceptional proofreading and copyediting skills to ensure invoices present an accurate and polished representation of the services provided.

Location

This position can sit in our Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego office and offers a hybrid work schedule.
 
Responsibilities

• Review and edit pre-bill narratives for accuracy, clarity, grammar, punctuation, style, and consistency prior to client invoice generation.

• Partner with partners, attorneys, legal support professionals, and billing teams to revise and refine time entry descriptions to accurately reflect legal work performed.

• Ensure billing narratives comply with firm billing standards, client billing guidelines, and best practices for invoice presentation.

• Identify unclear, incomplete, duplicative, inconsistent, or non-compliant narrative entries and coordinate appropriate revisions.

• Standardize billing language and formatting across matters while preserving the substantive description of legal services provided.

• Conduct detailed quality assurance reviews of invoices to ensure content accurately reflects attorney work product and client engagement requirements.

• Assist in developing and maintaining style guides, editing standards, and narrative best practices for billing descriptions.

• Provide guidance and recommendations to attorneys and business professionals regarding effective billing narrative drafting.

• Collaborate with Finance, Billing, Pricing, and Practice Group teams to support billing quality initiatives and process improvements.

• Maintain confidentiality of client, matter, financial, and attorney information in accordance with firm policies and professional obligations.

• Track recurring editing issues and recommend solutions to improve overall billing quality, consistency, and efficiency.

• Support special projects related to billing compliance, client requirements, and invoicing process enhancements.

Desired Skills   

Experience reviewing detailed written content for accuracy, grammar, consistency, and compliance. Experience working with legal terminology, legal documents, or attorney-generated or professional services related content. Experience supporting attorney billing processes or client invoicing in a law firm environment. Experience interpreting and applying outside counsel guidelines and client billing requirements. Experience using legal billing and financial management systems. Exceptional proofreading, copyediting, and written communication skills. Advanced knowledge of grammar, punctuation, style, and editorial standards. Working knowledge of legal terminology, legal services, and law firm operations.
 

Understanding of legal billing practices, invoicing processes, and client billing expectations. Strong attention to detail with the ability to identify nuanced errors and inconsistencies. Excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills. Ability to exercise sound judgment when editing sensitive attorney-client content. Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys, finance professionals, and business support teams. Customer service orientation with the ability to communicate professionally and diplomatically. High degree of discretion and commitment to confidentiality. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and legal or financial technology platforms.

Minimum Education            

• High School Diploma or GED.
   

Preferred Education

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Journalism, Legal Studies, Business, Finance, or a related field.
   

Certificates

• Paralegal Certificate or equivalent legal training preferred.
   

Minimum Years of Experience  

• 3 years’ experience in a law firm, legal services environment, professional services firm, legal billing, legal operations, paralegal, proofreading, copyediting, or related role in a company or organization making use of editing skills.

Essential Job Expectations

All DLA Piper employees are expected to demonstrate excellence in how we serve our clients and develop our people, upholding our firm values as part of our culture. Specific expectations include:
 

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and external audiences.

• Produce high-quality work and respond to correspondence in an efficient, timely, and professional manner.

• Meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and commit to meeting high standards.

• Comply with firm policies and procedures.

• Maintain confidences as required in a law firm environment.
   

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: This is primarily sedentary work, requiring occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects. The role involves sitting for extended periods, with occasional walking and standing, and occasional travel, both domestic and international.
 

Work Environment   

The individual selected for this position may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement combining remote and in-office work. The specific arrangement will be determined at the time of hiring and may be modified at the firm's discretion.
 

Disclaimer   

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm’s discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment.
 

Application Process    

Interested candidates must apply directly online. Application materials sent via email will not be accepted.
 

Accommodation   

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position or participate in the selection process. For accommodation requests, please contact careers@us.dlapiper.com.
 

Agency applications will not be considered.
 

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position.
 

This job description provides a concise overview of the role and is not intended to describe all work elements that may be performed. It should not serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions. Job duties, requirements, and expectations may be modified at the firm's discretion at any time. This job description does not alter the at-will nature of employment.
 

We are committed to excellence in how we serve our clients and develop our people.

The firm’s expected hiring range for this position is $98,990 - $143,088 per year depending on the candidate’s geographic market location.
 

The compensation offered for employment will also be dependent on other factors including the candidate’s experience, skills, educational and professional background, and overall qualifications. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k).

Applicants who are not based in the jurisdiction in which this position is posted and who apply for this role are doing so voluntarily and are not eligible for relocation assistance. Any relocation benefits, if any, are provided only where a relocation is required at the firm’s direction and in accordance with applicable policy and law.
 

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DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Job applicant poster viewing center.