Legal Assistant and Receptionist

Important Note: This role will perform work following a hybrid schedule (some on-campus/some remote work), with the transition to full on-campus work in Cambridge if required by the department. Employees will be expected to commute to the office in Cambridge as required.

The Legal Assistant and Receptionist is part of a team of five administrative assistants in the Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”), reporting to the Department Administrator. The Legal Assistant and Receptionist supports the management of the OGC’s outside legal spending and provides day-to-day administrative support for the office, as well as for at least five OGC legal staff in their varied law practices. Typical duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned as needed.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Receptionist Functions

• Answers calls to the OGC main line and triages calls and voicemails as appropriate.

• Provides front desk coverage and security for the office; responsible for arranging for acceptance of legal documents served in person or notifying the proper third party when the office is remote.

• Provides training for other administrative staff on front desk procedures.

• Serves as principal contact and source of information for internal and external stakeholders by phone and walk-in. Escalates questions and issues as necessary.

• Maintains departmental contact lists and organizational documents. 

• Coordinates archives filing, retrieval, and destruction. Maintains accurate records of all archives.

• Distributes mail.

• Files and organizes documents pertaining to the office’s legal library.

Legal Assistant Functions

• Provides direct support to assigned legal staff members, including, for example, complex calendar management, room-booking, correspondence, and management of electronic and paper legal files.

• Processes and edits correspondence, memos, and legal documents, including photocopying, scanning, and redacting information from documents, and transcribing handwritten documents.

• Creates, organizes, and maintains files, both hard copy and electronic, for a variety of legal matters, using the office’s electronic docket and document management systems.

• Makes conference and travel arrangements for department staff, knowing and applying relevant policies and guidance.

• Processes expense reports and reimbursements.

• Evaluates bankruptcy notices and conducts internal processes to identify Harvard claimants and related tasks.

• Provides support for additional legal staff members as needed to cover other administrative staff absences.

• Works collaboratively with other administrative staff to improve office functions and accomplish tasks that involve group efforts.

• Coordinates other department projects as needed.

• Manages office-wide functions with minimal supervision.

Financial Functions

• Works closely with Legal and Financial Assistants to arrange for timely payment of invoices. Serves as approver for certain payments in Accounts Payable systems.

• Processes payments received by the Office of the General Counsel, including depositing checks per the University’s protocols. 

• Responsible for the onboarding of new vendors