Karl P. Manning
Litigation Legal Secretary
Baltimore, MD · (410) 555 0118 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/karlpmanning
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Nine years in litigation support across two Maryland firms
PRACTICE AREAS
Commercial litigation, construction defect, employment defense
SPECIALTIES
Electronic filing, deadline calendaring, deposition scheduling, trial binders
SYSTEMS
iManage, Microsoft 365, Relativity, DocuSign, Westlaw
CREDENTIALS
Accredited Legal Professional, National Association of Legal Secretaries; notary public, State of Maryland
EDUCATION
Associate of Applied Science in paralegal studies, Community College of Baltimore County
Results at a Glance
480
Pleadings across state
62
Active matters
140
Depositions across eleven
Executive Summary
Litigation legal secretary with nine years supporting trial attorneys in state and federal court. Prepares and files pleadings, calendars every deadline off the scheduling order, and keeps deposition and discovery dates moving. Certified by the National Association of Legal Secretaries and commissioned as a notary in Maryland.
Signature Achievements
- Filed 480 pleadings across state and federal courts in three years with two clerk rejections, both cured the same day.
- Cut trial binder assembly for a six week construction case from nine days to four using a numbered exhibit index.
- Calendared deadlines for 62 active matters with no missed response date over four years.
- Scheduled 140 depositions across eleven jurisdictions and rebooked 26 without losing a discovery cutoff.
- Trained four new secretaries on the federal Case Management and Electronic Case Files system and firm naming rules.
Professional Experience
Litigation Legal Secretary
Fell Point Trial Group, Baltimore, MD 2020 to present
Supports three partners and two associates carrying roughly 60 open commercial and construction matters.
- Prepares pleadings, motions and exhibit sets, then files electronically in state and federal court.
- Calendars every date from the scheduling order and issues seven day and two day reminders.
- Coordinates depositions with court reporters, videographers and opposing counsel across eleven counties.
- Maintains matter files in iManage and runs the annual records retention purge with the office manager.
Legal Secretary
Chesapeake Employment Law Partners, Towson, MD 2017 to 2020
Sole secretary to two attorneys defending employment claims before agencies and the district court.
- Prepared position statements and agency responses on strict response windows.
- Checked citations against The Bluebook and built tables of authorities for appellate briefs.
- Managed client intake conflicts checks and opened 90 matters a year.
Legal Assistant
Patapsco Title Services, Baltimore, MD 2016 to 2017
Closing support at a residential title agency handling 40 settlements a month.
- Assembled settlement packages and confirmed recording requirements with the county land records office.
- Notarized signatures at closing and tracked returned recorded instruments.
Licensure and Certification
Accredited Legal Professional, National Association of Legal Secretaries
Notary public, State of Maryland
Member, Maryland State Bar Association legal staff section
Education
Associate of Applied Science in paralegal studies, Community College of Baltimore County, 2016
Core Skills
Electronic court filing · Deadline calendaring · Deposition scheduling · Trial binder preparation · Bluebook citation checking · Tables of authorities · iManage · Relativity · Westlaw · Notarization · Records retention