Legal Staff Legal Administrator in Washington, DC

Law Firm

Washington, DC

Legal Staff Legal Administrator in Washington, DC

Legal Staff

Min 1 yrs required

No

Job Title: Legal Billing Specialist

Job Responsibilities:
The Legal Billing Specialist is tasked with managing account setup, billing arrangements, and account and inventory management for assigned client portfolios. This role requires collaboration with the legal team throughout the billing cycle. Key responsibilities include:

- Establishing and maintaining professional and collaborative relationships with attorneys, staff, and clients to ensure compliance with attorney and client specifications.
- Verifying rates, reviewing and implementing outside counsel guidelines, monitoring fee caps, tier discounts, and matter budgets; setting up and monitoring alerts; and communicating with management regarding discounts, write-downs, and write-offs.
- Managing the prebill to final bill process, ensuring billing attorneys receive accurate prebills and return them promptly; submitting finalized bills in the appropriate template format, adhering to attorney and client specifications; confirming final bills have been submitted to the client and are posted in the law firm’s accounting system.
- Reviewing client guidelines and rate arrangements to ensure invoices are compliant, and processing transfers, write-offs, and adjustments.
- Monitoring unbilled inventory for assigned clients and ensuring invoices are prepared and finalized promptly.
- Generating weekly billing reports and analysis.
- Preparing monthly and transactional bills and reports for billing attorney review, incorporating edits and revisions, preparing final invoices, obtaining approving signatures, posting bills, and maintaining billing files.
- Working closely with legal and support staff to resolve any issues in a timely manner and ensuring bills are accurate and complete.
- Communicating directly with clients as requested or established, and providing clients with requested information on any special billing arrangements.
- Managing and coordinating all billing functions for assigned timekeepers.
- Performing standard billing functions of the law firm including creating proformas, transferring, dividing, billing no-charge and correcting time and cost entries, entry of adjustments and understanding their effect on realization, and finalizing and balancing invoices within the law firm financial software.
- Performing advanced billing functions for alternate fee arrangements (flat fee, fixed fee by task and interim billing), multi-payor, split billing, application of retainers, and unallocated payments.
- Providing excellent service by responding to billing questions and issues and advising the legal team regarding the billing and management of complex fee arrangements.
- Managing the electronic invoice submission process and tracking the status of electronic invoices from submission to acceptance, including identifying, researching, and troubleshooting rejected invoices and other issues.
- Creating bills; drafts and finals efficiently and accurately per client guidelines and billing department expectations. Preparing and/or assisting in preparation of client bills; processing, proofing, and releasing manual bills in the accounting system or downloading and preparing electronic billing using client-approved software.
- Processing write-downs, retainer applications, premium allocations, and transfers of time and/or disbursements after required approval has been obtained.
- Handling attorney, legal assistant, and client inquiries. Providing monthly billing reports as required. Preparing, per client requirements and/or attorney request, billing accruals for budget analysis.
- Assisting with gathering and matching supporting documentation for client expenses as needed.
- Creating and/or revising billing formats to accommodate client and/or attorney needs.
- Reviewing client accounts receivable, aged work in progress, and unapplied cash to minimize cash cycle, improve cash flow, and meet revenue goals. Reviewing write-downs and working proactively with attorneys, management, and billing committee to resolve problems arising from this review.
- Contacting clients to resolve billing issues that hinder payment of outstanding accounts receivable when appropriate.
- Ensuring compliance with billing and collection policies.
- Analyzing trends to suggest process improvements in a professional manner. Preparing responses to special client requests such as personnel surveys, etc.
- Handling ad hoc projects and requests, as assigned.

Education and Experience Information:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business, or equivalent experience.
- Preferred experience in law firms or professional services.
- Proficiency with QuickBooks Online (QBO).
- Skilled in complex accounting analysis, advanced Excel, and reporting.
- High business acumen and multitasking ability.
- Strong analytical skills to assess information and anticipate needs.
- Detail-oriented with excellent time management.
- Exceptional client service, teamwork, and independent work skills.
- Clear and concise communication.
- Proactive and value-driven.
- Maintains confidentiality.
- Strong problem-solving abilities.
- Reliable, dependable, and motivated.
- Excellent organizational and communication skills.
- Flexible to work additional hours as needed.

Salary Information:
The anticipated base salary for this position is $48,000 to $90,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications, or other professional licenses held.

Benefits:
- Commuter Benefits
- Mental Health Days
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Disability (LTD/STD)
- Health Insurance Subsidy
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Holiday Break (Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day)
- Billable Hour Bonus
- Life Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with matching
- Dental Insurance
- Sunshine Fridays
- Sign-on Bonus

Application Process:
Inquiries are treated with strict confidentiality. Please apply by submitting the following:
- Resume
- Cover letter
- Salary requirements
- Official/unofficial academic transcripts (undergraduate and graduate if applicable)

We look forward to receiving your application and exploring the possibility of you joining our team! No recruiters, please.