Description:
About the Firm:We are a well-established New York plaintiff-side personal injury litigation firm dedicated to achieving exceptional results for our clients in motor vehicle, premises liability, and Labor Law (240, 241(6), 200) cases. Our fast-paced, collaborative practice is deeply committed to advancing cases efficiently and strategically through the litigation process to secure timely compensation for our injured clients.
We are seeking a Discovery Attorney to join our litigation team in a newly created role designed to streamline and elevate our document discovery process. This position is ideal for an attorney who excels at legal analysis, writing, and the nuanced art of discovery—someone who thrives on precision, organization, and mastery of procedural detail.
Position Overview:
The Discovery Attorney will serve as the firm's lead attorney for all aspects of document discovery across our active litigation docket. This attorney will take ownership of the discovery workflow, ensuring that the firm's discovery:
- responses are thorough, timely, and compliant with CPLR Article 31 by fully responding where appropriate and asserting proper, well-founded objections where warranted;
- demands are comprehensive and appropriately tailored to obtaining evidence relevant to the elements establishing a prima facie case depending on the case type, and that the firm's discovery-related motion practice is aggressive, well-supported, and procedurally sound;
- motion practice is prompt, persuasive, well-supported by applicable case law, and procedurally sound in accordance with all CPLR and Part requirements.
This role is primarily behind-the-scenes, focusing on detailed document discovery and written legal advocacy rather than client contact, depositions, or regular court appearances (except in emergency coverage situations). While not client-facing, we view this position as vital to our success, providing a highly strategic, value-adding contribution that directly drives case advancement. The role is designed as a full-time, dedicated position, allowing the Discovery Attorney to work without the interruptions created by client calls, court appearances, and depositions, ensuring that complex discovery responses, demands, and motions to compel/strike can be completed efficiently and effectively.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and oversee the document discovery process on all firm cases between RJI and Note of Issue, ensuring compliance with deadlines and procedural rules.
- Serve thorough and timely “BP Packs” (Bill of Particulars, Response to Combined Demands, Plaintiff Combined Demands, and Demand for Bill of Particulars as to Affirmative Defenses) within 20 days of receipt of a defendant's Answer.
- Draft, review, and finalize discovery responses and demands that are complete, appropriately tailored, and legally sound pursuant to CPLR Article 31 and related caselaw.
- Assert and preserve proper objections to discovery requests that are overbroad, irrelevant, duplicative, or outside the scope of permissible discovery, supported by caselaw where necessary.
- Collaborate with assigned attorneys and discovery paralegals to ensure all discovery obligations are met promptly, minimizing delays caused by the downstate court system or defense carriers' litigation tactics, and actively advancing our clients' cases through the litigation process.
- Oversee follow-up and discovery motion practice related to outstanding discovery issues, coordinating with assigned attorneys as necessary.
- Develop and refine internal discovery protocols and templates to promote consistency, efficiency, and compliance.
- Train and mentor discovery paralegals on best practices, quality control, and procedural standards.
- Continuously monitor workflow bottlenecks and identify opportunities for procedural improvement.
Qualifications:
- J.D. and admission to the New York State Bar (in good standing).
- 5+ years of litigation experience at a New York plaintiff personal injury law firm, including extensive hands-on discovery experience.
- Deep and practical understanding of CPLR Article 31, related case law, and what is and is not discoverable.
- Exceptional legal writing, research, and analytical skills.
- Organized, detail-oriented, and methodical, with a strong ability to manage deadlines and multiple cases simultaneously.
- Highly proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
- Comfortable working in a collaborative team environment while maintaining ownership and accountability for assigned tasks.
- Content and motivated in a non-courtroom, discovery-focused attorney role.
Why join us:
- Be part of a forward-thinking firm that is actively innovating its litigation processes in a newly created role, helping to define and elevate the firm's discovery practice while making a direct impact on case outcomes.
- Work with a supportive, collaborative team that values both legal excellence and operational efficiency.
- Play a critical role in resolving a pivotal bottleneck in the litigation workflow, ensuring cases advance efficiently while maintaining and enhancing the firm's excellence in client advocacy.
- Enjoy a focused, intellectually engaging role without extensive client contact or frequent court appearances.
