Description:

Position Summary and Typical Responsibilities

Estate planning attorneys counsel clients on strategies to manage and distribute their assets in the event of death or incapacity and prepare trusts and other instruments to effectuate their clients' estate planning. Responsibilities may include, without limitation:

Providing legal advice to individuals and families on a wide range of estate planning and tax strategies;
Drafting trusts, wills, advance health care directives, powers of attorney, and other estate planning instruments;
Evaluating client competency to make changes to estate planning and taking appropriate steps to protect clients from undue influence;
Advising trustees regarding trust administration matters and accounting;
Preparing petitions, accountings, and other probate court filings;
Representing trustees, executors, personal representatives, beneficiaries, creditors, and other interested parties in probate or trust matters in court;
Staying informed on changes in the law applicable to estate planning and advising clients of the same;
Researching, evaluating, and resolving a variety of complex legal matters;
Developing and maintaining client relationships and generating business, including attending and representing the firm at community events;
Administrative tasks including, without limitation, contemporaneous timekeeping and timely review and approval of invoices to clients; and
Assigning and supervising the work of other attorneys and staff.

The foregoing is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required for this position, and job responsibilities may change at any time.

Qualifications:

Minimum qualifications for this position include an active membership in good standing in the California State Bar, a Juris Doctor degree, and exemplary ethical standards.

Additional preferred (but not necessarily required) qualifications include:

Two or more years of experience in legal practice, preferably in estate planning or probate.
Connections to San Joaquin County or surrounding communities.
State Bar certification as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate law and/or LLM.

To perform well in this position will also require an applicant to possess or develop extensive knowledge of trust, probate, and tax laws and regulations; the ability to communicate clearly and calmly, particularly in stressful or emotionally-charged situations; flexibility to respond to situations and communicate with clients outside of traditional “business hours”; clear, concise, and effective writing skills; and strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to actively listen, empathize, process information, educate, and problem-solve.