Law Clerk

The Palermo Firm is seeking a motivated, organized, and detail-oriented Law Clerk to join our growing law practice in Melville, New York. Our firm focuses primarily on estate planning, probate and estate administration, elder law, and residential real estate.

This position is ideal for a law student or recent law school graduate who wants meaningful, hands-on experience in a small law firm environment. The Law Clerk will work directly with attorneys and legal staff and will assist with legal research, document preparation, client matters, case management, and the day-to-day progression of files.

We are looking for someone who is professional, dependable, comfortable with technology, and able to manage multiple matters while maintaining careful attention to detail and client confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Assist attorneys with estate planning, probate and estate administration, elder law, and real estate matters.
• Conduct legal research and prepare summaries or memoranda as requested.
• Assist with drafting and revising legal documents, correspondence, court forms, petitions, affidavits, and other client documents.
• Assist with preparation and review of estate planning documents, including Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, Living Wills, and related documents.
• Assist with probate and administration proceedings, including preparation of Surrogate's Court documents and supporting materials.
• Review documents and client files for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and proper execution.
• Maintain and update matters, tasks, notes, documents, deadlines, and client information in Lawcus, the firm's practice management system.
• Assist with document preparation and drafting through WealthCounsel.
• Organize and maintain electronic client files in accordance with firm procedures.
• Assist with client intake and gathering information and documents needed to move matters forward.
• Communicate professionally with clients, courts, financial institutions, title companies, government agencies, and other attorneys as appropriate.
• Draft routine client correspondence and follow-up communications for attorney review.
• Track outstanding documents, deadlines, and follow-up items and assist in keeping matters moving forward.
• Assist with scheduling, document scanning, electronic filing, PDF management, and other routine law-office functions when needed.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all client and firm information.
• Perform other legal and administrative tasks as needed in a small-firm environment.

Qualifications

• Current law student, recent law school graduate, or other candidate with relevant legal education or experience.
• Strong writing, research, proofreading, and organizational skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to identify inconsistencies or missing information.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and deadlines without losing track of follow-up items.
• Professional and courteous communication skills when interacting with clients and other professionals.
• Comfortable learning and working with legal technology and cloud-based systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Adobe Acrobat/PDF software, and general office technology.
• Experience with Lawcus, WealthCounsel, or similar legal practice-management or document-drafting software is helpful but not required.
• Prior experience in estate planning, probate, elder law, or real estate is a plus but not required.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Willingness to learn, accept feedback, and assist wherever needed in a collaborative small-firm environment.

What You'll Gain

This position provides hands-on exposure to the practical side of operating a law practice and managing client matters from intake through completion. The Law Clerk will have the opportunity to develop practical skills in estate planning, Surrogate's Court proceedings, elder law, real estate transactions, legal drafting, client communication, and law-office technology while working closely with attorneys and experienced legal staff.

Pay: $26.00 - $33.00 per hour

Expected hours: 20.0 – 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person