Trust & Estate Planning Legal Clerk

Job Summary

A prominent and established law firm in Downtown San Diego is seeking a detail-oriented Trust & Estate Planning Legal Clerk to support its growing Estate Planning and Probate practice. This direct hire opportunity is ideal for a legal professional who enjoys working closely with attorneys, clients, fiduciaries, financial advisors, and other professionals on sensitive and complex trust and estate matters.

The Trust & Estate Planning Legal Clerk will play an important role in document preparation, file management, calendaring, client communication, and administrative support. This position offers the opportunity to join a stable, highly regarded legal practice with experienced attorneys, supportive leadership, and a collaborative team environment. Candidates who value accuracy, professionalism, client service, and long-term career growth will find this to be an excellent opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

- Serve as a professional point of contact for clients, fiduciaries, financial advisors, courts, and third parties while maintaining confidentiality and discretion.
- Prepare, proofread, format, assemble, and organize estate planning, probate, trust administration, and related legal documents.
- Coordinate signing ceremonies, witness requirements, notarizations, closing binders, electronic document packages, and client follow-up.
- Open, maintain, organize, scan, index, retrieve, and close physical and electronic client files using firm document management procedures.
- Manage attorney calendars, deadlines, ticklers, task lists, meetings, agendas, exhibits, and follow-up correspondence.
- Assist with administrative operations, billing and matter administration, mail processing, copying, vendor coordination, and general office support.

Compensation and Benefits

- Salary range: $55,000 to $65,000 per year.
- Employment type: Direct hire.
- Location: Downtown San Diego, CA.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

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For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

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We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Additional Skills

Required Qualifications and Skills

- Support attorneys with estate planning, trust administration, probate, and related legal matters.
- Prepare and manage legal documents, execution copies, closing binders, and electronic document packages.
- Coordinate client communications, document signatures, notarizations, meetings, deadlines, and workflow.
- Maintain accurate physical and electronic files while following confidentiality, version control, and record retention procedures.

- 1 to 3+ years of experience in a law firm or corporate legal department.
- Prior experience with Trust and Estates, Estate Planning, Probate, or Trust Administration strongly preferred.
- Strong document preparation, proofreading, formatting, and quality control skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Experience working with PDFs, electronic signature platforms, scanning, indexing, and document management systems.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple matters, deadlines, and competing priorities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a client-focused, professional approach.
- Ability to handle sensitive personal, legal, and financial information with discretion and confidentiality.
- Reliable, detail-oriented, accountable, and able to follow through in a fast-paced legal environment.

Preferred Qualifications

- Familiarity with court e-filing systems.
- Notary Public commission.
- Experience coordinating estate planning signing ceremonies, witness requirements, notarizations, and closing binders.
- Experience maintaining legal document templates, naming conventions, version control, and record retention procedures.