JOIN OUR TEAM…

Balestriere Law Firm is seeking a paralegal-legal analyst for immediate hire who wants the best training you can get before law school if you want to be a trial lawyer.

This is a full time, business hours, in-office position. We seek recent college graduates to make a commitment of at least one year, but ideally closer to two years.

We want those who interested in increasing responsibility during their time at the firm, growing and learning as our firm grows, ready to be on teams and take direction, but also able to take initiative and get through the day without being told every task to perform. No education beyond college is needed. Just be ready to work hard, grow, have fun, do justice, and serve clients.

Analysts work very closely with our lawyers on all aspects of our very diverse array of disputes and investigations, and in all parts of running our firm as a business.

This is not a typical paralegal position and it is not for everyone. We handle highly complex, very sensitive matters at our small practice, in courts and arbitrations in New York and around the country, for clients from all around the world. We cannot do what we do for our clients without great, committed analysts who own their work and want to do a great job with their colleagues, both on cases, and ensuring our success as a business.

You will matter at this firm - to your colleagues and to firm clients - so we require at least two full months' notice (absent exigent circumstances) before you move on which we will help you to do however we can.

While the firm has certain weekly training events, most training is done by the constant back and forth of working with senior lawyers on all kinds of trial matters.

Please note: if you have a law degree of any kind, whether from the United States or overseas you are not a good fit for this position. Please do not apply if you are in law school, have a J.D., or have an LL.M.

About Us

Balestriere is a trials and investigations law firm.

Our firm serves businesses, institutions, and individuals involved in disputes around the world. Our team represents our clients at all stages of a dispute including at trial, in arbitration hearings, and in appellate courts, in intense negotiations, in investigations, and when dealing with the government. We drive cases to win.

Responsibilities of an Analyst

• Assist lawyers and any firm staff, including co-counsel of the Firm, in any work of any kind needed to serve clients and run the firm as a business.

• Manage case calendars and dockets.

• Conduct factual and legal research.

• Prepare and file and otherwise address legal documents under supervision of lawyers.

• Coordinate and participate in case events.

• Communicate with clients and assist in managing client relationships.

• Conduct client and witness interviews.

• Serve as a liaison between attorneys and the courts.

• Serve an essential role in all aspects of evidence development and discovery including exchange of evidence and in depositions, as well as all manner of court and arbitration appearances, including arguments, evidentiary hearings, and trials.

• Run and follow up on invoices.

• Assist in marketing and client development.

• Perform any administrative, business, or executive assistant tasks of any kind which are needed to run the Firm as an efficient, client focused, winning, profitable, justice oriented business.

Required Degree and Skills

• Bachelor's degree (further degrees not needed nor preferred; do not apply if you have an advanced degree).

• Superior writing and editing skills (which we will hone and develop).

• General proficiency in general office programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat.

• Ability to work quickly and efficiently under strict deadlines.

• Flexibility to pivot from one task to another, including addressing unexpected tasks on a routine basis.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Strong attention to detail, adherence to the rules of courts and practices of our firm, and a commitment to accuracy.

• Desire to grow and learn, particularly in working in teams, in writing, and in tactical thinking.

• Initiative, resourcefulness, and an ability to work independently as well as closely with others; in particular certain tasks will often be done alone, and after given direction, without constant supervision.

• An ability to multitask and prioritize and trust your judgment and to make decisions on your own.

• Authorized to work in the United States.

• Desired but not required: One to five years of prior work experience.

Salary and Benefits

The starting salary is $60,000 per year. Employees participate in the firm's health, vision, and dental insurance plans, and the firm pays for most costs associated with insurance. The firm is developing (but does not yet have) a retirement or pension program.

Application Process

If we are interested in an interview we shall message you to set up a video meeting and at that time ask you to email your resume (even if you have sent it previously), writing samples, and a list of references. We shall not immediately contact references.

If we proceed through the process we shall then ask you to come into our office space (please note we do not provide reimbursement for any travel) to meet with multiple staff.

After an initial in office meeting, and likely a second office meeting with further staff, we will ask to speak with your three references (and we prefer employer, rather than school, references) whom we will contact.

Finally, after that we may ask you to return to the office for a final in person interview.

Balestriere is a private trials and investigations law firm. We’re looking for law school students who want a meaningful summer experience performing substantive work on cases, including both our business and public service contingency matters and with levels of responsibility typically reserved for associates at other law firms. In the past, summer law students have worked on projects including:

• Drafting complaints against one of the world’s largest companies in a major, complex class action.

• Research on procedural and policy aspects of class action lawsuits.

• Writing first and later drafts of memoranda of law filed in current cases.

• Researching all cases decided by a judge regarding arbitration agreements.

• Interviewing witnesses for criminal cases in state court.

• Assisting in depositions in a regulatory action before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

• Preparing for and assisting at trial.

• Development of a marketing strategy for the law firm.

• Intense research on how fees are awarded in the different kinds of cases which the firm handles.

• Transcribing manuals on litigation procedure or substantive law.

• Filing documents in court and serving documents on adversaries or witnesses.

Who Should Apply

The firm is currently seeking law students as apprentices for the Summer 2025 session for full and part time work.

Requirements

Law students must have completed at least one year of school before beginning the apprenticeship.

Apprentices must be very careful in their work, pay attention to detail, possess excellent writing and research skills, be ready to take initiative and be creative, work well in teams, but also be able to slog away in a given project by themselves, be willing to do whatever work is necessary for a given matter or research project, and be prepared to work on multiple tasks in multiple cases over the course of their apprenticeship.

We, in turn, will meet our responsibility to make the apprenticeship a challenging and rewarding one and to involve apprentices as much as possible in our work. Committed apprentices have become integral parts of the firm in very short order. Past apprentices have written papers with lawyers at the firm or joined the firm as attorneys.

Time Commitment

For any period deemed full time, apprentices must work in the firm at least four full days a week, though five days a week is preferred, and may be required at times to use their own laptops. For any period deemed part time, apprentices must work in the firm at least one full day a week when school is in session, though two days in the office are strongly encouraged, and must perform at least 15 hours of work per week (in and out of office).

We understand that, during the semester, school is a student’s top priority. At the same time, if a apprentice commits to working a certain number of days or on a given project at the beginning of the apprenticeship, we expect the apprentice to fulfill that commitment.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should submit the following to mgmt@balestrierefirm.com as soon as possible:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• Writing sample

• Unofficial copy of an up to date transcript.

• List of at least three references (including at least one employer reference). Include an email address and phone number for each reference.

Write “2025 Summer Legal Apprentice Application” in the subject heading of the e-mail.

Senior associates at Balestriere have enormous case responsibility and get real experience running matters, advocating for clients in court and arbitrations, advising clients, and driving our cases to win.

Only lawyers interested in having real responsibility, developing their skills, and having significant input in how a case proceeds should apply. We are only interested in hiring senior associates who can eventually become partners at the firm and who have an entrepreneurial mindset. Significant writing experience is essential and, beyond cultural fit, is the primary criterion in determining who we will bring on. Experience in running cases and standing on your feet in courts and arbitrations is helpful. Hours can be long, as in any firm handling top end, high value, complicated domestic and international disputes. But senior associates in particular have a great deal of freedom over how they work to meet their responsibilities.

Please submit the following materials with the subject heading of “Senior Associate Application“:

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• Two writing samples including at least one memorandum of law. Note: Each writing sample shall include a cover letter listing the responsibility level in authoring that sample as well as a brief description of the sample.