Skills

Warm friendly person with 5+ years of recent experience in estate planning and/or business succession planning.  Excellent people skills and excellent counseling skills. Excellent listener who enjoys working with older people. Ability to explain estate planning subjects in layman’s terms. Energetic, highly professional, team-oriented. Professional appearance and attire required. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Familiarity with MS Office Suite. Non-smoker preferred.

Strong organization skills and attention to detail.  Excellent customer service and communication skills – verbal and written.  Ability to adapt easily to a constantly changing environment, juggle multiple tasks and prioritize work to maintain efficiency.  Ability to take initiative and work as the leader of a team.  Ability to think strategically and tactically.  Creative problem resolution skills.  Ability to consistently meet and exceed targeted business metrics. 

Duties

• Follow the Thompson Law consultation system. Conduct initial client consultation meetings with prospective clients who are referred by other professionals or clients or who have attended public or private seminars hosted by the law firm. Performance target is that 80% of viable prospects retain the law firm for estate planning services, with a substantial percentage of the fixed fee collected up front.
• Work closely with Marketing Coordinator to track results of client consultations.
• Continually analyze performance in client consultations, looking for ways to improve the percentage of prospects that become clients.
• Direct the Production Paralegal in drafting custom estate planning documents for each client. Draft any special language as required for a client’s estate plan. Thoroughly review completed estate plans for accuracy and completeness.
• Attend or occasionally conduct document execution meetings.
• Answer clients’ legal questions pertaining to their estate plans. Delegate as many routine questions as possible to the support staff. Be available as a resource to staff for questions.
• Actively participate in the firm’s marketing efforts including attendance at 4-6 estate planning presentations per year. After time, make presentations relaying complex information understandably and answering attendees’ questions effectively.
• Continually analyze performance in both seminar and client consultations, looking for ways to improve the percentage of prospects who come in for consultations and the percentage that become clients.
• Actively cultivate professional relationships with referral sources.
• Earn 36 CLE units per year, including state-sponsored and Academy-sponsored educational events.
• Complete legal research from time to time for client matters and general firm matters.
• Maintain South Dakota Bar License and become licensed in two connecting states within two years of hire.
• Provide a positive personal example to other Thompson Law staff through words and behavior that displays personal integrity, supports the employees at all levels in the firm, takes responsibility for actions and holds others accountable.
• Participate in fostering a learning environment where mistakes are identified, owned and where the firm and its employees learn from them.
• Participate in or conduct weekly staff meetings, which includes providing and facilitating input on law firm operations and procedures.