Careers at Walkup

Why Walkup?

We are an established top tier law firm committed to fighting for justice for more than 60 years. We are the most awarded plaintiff’s personal injury firm in Northern California. Our focus is doing good for every client. If you are interested in joining our diverse team of good people dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the people we represent, we’d like to meet you.

What we offer

Competitive Salary

Hybrid Work - Home / Office

Health Insurance

Commuter Benefits

Paid Time Off

401(k) Plan

What our people say

“We all share the same vision and that is to do the best we can for the clients. We work well together and we enjoy each other’s company. Its an awesome feeling to help someone in their time of need."

Josette Moreno | Office Services Coordinator

"Our clients are going through a very difficult time in their lives, and I have so much admiration for the level of empathy, respect and professionalism shown to each of them."

Sandra Davis | Director of Finance

“This program confirmed for me that I want to be a trial lawyer,” said Daniel Cassee. “It’s rare that you can get so many fascinating and accomplished trial attorneys in one place. Just to be in the room with them at every step of the process is invaluable.”

Summer Associates

“The thing that is most enjoyable is making a difference in people’s lives. I love what I do."

Michael A Kelly | Shareholder

Opportunities

Marketing and Event Coordinator

Summary:

This employee coordinates all law firm events and serves as point of contact for external marketing efforts, sponsorships and is liaison to a variety of vendors. The firm has twenty two lawyers and is of modest size conducting a variety of public events outside the confines of this description.

Duties:

Marketing responsibilities include monthly reporting and database management of new case retention and coordination with source of case contacts. This reporting assists in case intake analysis and guidance for marketing/advertising expenditures. Reporting includes analysis of monthly intake calls received; number of inquiries conducted, cases accepted and rejected, and those number pending determination.
Management responsibilities of all internal and external events. This includes professional development meetings and seminars, staff training, litigation focus groups, social events, holiday parties, charitable events, and political fundraising events. Responsibilities include site selection where necessary, invitation and attendance management, food and beverage ordering, and budget planning.
Coordinate publicity efforts including website and advertising photo shoots, online and print media advertising, and production of media copy for third party events which the firm supports and/or sponsors. Coordinate with legal newspapers and journals for printed and/or digital announcements, advertisements, and/or reprints (including The Recorder, Daily Journal, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Lawdragon, Irish Legal 100).
Work with partner overseeing publication of firm biannual newsletter “Focus on Torts” an

8-page glossy marketing brochure 1- 2x per year. Tasks include article editing, liaising with production contractor, managing production contractor, bulk mailer, and liaison with on-line marketing vendor for the digital version. Maintain and update mailing list of approximately 25,000

Serve as firm liaison to website coordinator.
Coordinate coverage and content of weekly firm Huddles.
Schedule and manage the logistics of firm conducted Focus Groups.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
2-3 years of marketing, communications, media, or event planning experience.
2-3 years of working in a law firm environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team as well as independently.
Advanced experience with Microsoft Word and Excel, and Adobe.
Organized – You are able to prioritize and manage a myriad of tasks at once.
Team Oriented – You are willing to help out on projects that drive the company forward, regardless of whether they are your responsibility or not.
Ability to work effectively with multiple individuals and manage numerous projects at one time.
Must be able and willing to lift, push or pull 25 pounds

BENEFITS

We offer excellent benefits (medical/dental/Vision/FSA/401(k)), competitive salary and discretionary bonuses and profit sharing contributions.

This is a non-exempt position.

Salary Range: $70,000 – $95,000/annual

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, citizenship, sex, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation (heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender expression or identity), political ideology, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Civil Justice Fellowship

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is a plaintiff’ side personal injury law firm in
San Francisco. Founded in 1959, we have six decades of experience trying cases on
behalf of individuals who suffered catastrophic injuries due to others’ negligence.

Walkup’s lawyers serve on the leadership of ABOTA, and teach trial advocacy for NITA,
at leading law schools, and internationally in emerging democracies. Walkup lawyers
have been recognized by “Best Lawyers in America,” SuperLawyers (Top 10 and Top
100 lists), and awarded numerous “Trial Lawyer of the Year” awards.

And of course, our lawyers try cases. We handle cases involving product liability
(including defective drugs and medical devices); nursing home abuse and medical
malpractice; civil rights (including wrongful incarceration and police abuse); dangerous
premises; vehicular negligence; sexual assault; transportation network company
liability; and everything from aviation disasters to explosions and fires. We also have
lead roles in prominent national (MDL) litigation.

The Walkup Civil Justice Fellowship

The Walkup Civil Justice Fellowship will be a chance to learn the art of trial advocacy
at a career stage when such opportunities are hard to come by. Our fellow will be
assigned to work on cases involving wrongful death and other serious tort matters, as
well as individual liberty and access to justice. Depending on ability, responsibilities
may include making court appearances, writing briefs, preparing clients for depositions,
taking depositions, and assisting in trial. The more you can do, the more you will do.

Fellowship Terms
The Fellowship runs from September 2025 through August 2026. The Fellow will
receive a competitive salary and will participate in the Firm’s full benefit package.

How to Apply
Applications from 3L candidates are accepted on a rolling basis. The application
deadline for our 2025 – 2026 Fellowship is October 31, 2024. Candidates should submit
cover letter, resume, law school transcripts, a writing sample and reference list to:

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger
Melinda Quilici, Director of Human Resources mquilici@walkuplawoffice.com
650 California St., 26th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108

The firm strongly encourages applications from candidates of all races, ethnicities,
genders, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and abilities. We believe that
by bringing together a diverse talent, we can foster a rich exchange of ideas and
perspectives, ultimately enhancing our collective legal acumen.

Paralegal (Personal Injury)

SUMMARY

This employee’s primary duty is preparing responses to discovery for attorney review and approval. This includes obtaining and organizing documents/information from clients and third parties as well as being familiar with entire file. Secondary duties include miscellaneous attorney support.

DUTIES

Review file and perform all work required to prepare draft responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories including contention interrogatories, Requests for Production of Documents, Requests for Admission, Notice of Taking Deposition and Request for Production of Documents (to plaintiff and plaintiff’s expert witnesses), Request for Statement of Damages and Requests for Prior Pleadings and Discovery for attorney review and approval
Communicate with attorneys to obtain overview of case, liability and damages to guide drafting of discovery responses
Communicate with clients to obtain information and documents to respond to discovery and support liability and damages claims
Serve final discovery responses and forward to clients for verification
Work with legal assistants to facilitate expert file production prior to expert depositions
Order records such as medical records, medical bills, police reports, etc.
Summarize medical bills
Under close guidance and supervision from attorney provide notifications to lien holders and obtain and index lien information
Organize documents obtained from clients including medical bills, wage records, photographs, insurance cards and other relevant documents
Attend defense medical examinations
Communicate with legal assistants regarding upcoming due dates and deadlines, and be aware of responsible attorneys’ availability for finalizing responses
Upon settlement of a matter, coordinate with legal assistants working on the case, to contact all experts and vendors requesting that all outstanding invoicing be promptly emailed or faxed
Ensure that any last minute costs are promptly approved and Accounting is made aware to include such costs on the settlement statement

QUALIFICATIONS

College degree preferred or paralegal certificate
Must have 3-5+ years of litigation experience, plaintiff experience with personal injury and medical malpractice is a plus
Strong familiarity with Code of Civil Procedure rules and requirements
Must have knowledge of court filing requirements, including experience with e-filing in state and federal court
Strong software skills, knowledge (MS Office Suite) and calendaring
Exceptional communication and attention to detail
Strong project and task management skills
Must be highly detail-oriented and able to manage multiple high-volume priorities in a fast-paced environment
Ability to work with diverse personalities within various levels of the organization
Must exhibit well-developed interpersonal and client relation skills

BENEFITS

We offer excellent benefits (medical/dental/Vision/FSA/401(k)), competitive salary and discretionary bonuses and profit sharing contributions.

Salary Range: $85,000 – $115,000

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, citizenship, sex, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation (heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender expression or identity), political ideology, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Paralegal (Mass Torts)

Summary:

This employee’s primary duty is obtaining and managing client information in mass tort cases, as well as responding to discovery. This includes obtaining and organizing documents and information from clients.

Essential Functions:

Assist with the management of complex cases involving multiple plaintiffs, including gathering, analyzing and organizing client information
Maintain complete and accurate client databases
Conduct detailed client intakes
Communicate pertinent information to clients via telephone, email, and mail, including blast messaging updates to multiple plaintiffs
Track discovery and filing deadlines, keep attorneys and assistants up to date regarding upcoming deadlines, and be aware of availability of attorneys when needed for finalizing responses and filings
Obtain documents from clients to respond to discovery and support liability and damages claims
Order records such as medical records, medical bills, police reports, etc.
Summarize and organize medical records and bills
Assist attorneys in all aspects of written discovery requests and responses, such as interrogatories and Fact Sheets
Serve final discovery responses and forward to clients for verification
File complaints, motions, and other pleadings as needed
Obtain lien information and provide notifications to all lienholders
Upon settlement of a matter, proactively coordinate with others working on the case, to ensure that all internal procedures for closed cases are followed

BENEFITS

We offer excellent benefits (medical/dental/Vision/FSA/401(k)), competitive salary and discretionary bonuses and profit sharing contributions.

Salary Range: $80,000 – $95,000/annual

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, citizenship, sex, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation (heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender expression or identity), political ideology, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Legal Assistant

SUMMARY:

The Legal Assistant provides interim coverage our Legal Assistants to provide continual and consistent support to the attorneys and the firm.

DUTIES:

Opening and closing cases (includes obtaining signed contracts and authorizations from the client, gathering initial case details, requesting final invoices, circulating closing documents)
Prepare and send legal and administrative correspondence (including communications with clients)
Format, put in final form and proofread all work product from attorney sent via dictation, hard copy and/or email
Make travel arrangements for attorney as needed
Receive and manage incoming phone calls, voicemails and emails
Receive and manage incoming mail and service documents and handle or route appropriately
Order and save investigation reports and/or medical records for cases
Transcribe all dictation in a timely manner
Maintain attorney’s calendar (Outlook/Compulaw) for all SOL’s, reminders, tentative rulings, appointments, depositions and verifying coverage. Coordinate with master calendar clerk
Create, maintain, and organize hard and electronic files
Save all incoming documents, deposition transcripts, reports, etc. to the appropriate folder/file and route accordingly
Prepare and file all Complaints at appropriate court, serve on all defendants and file POS
Upon receipt, save then forward discovery onto attorney, assigned paralegal, and clients
Schedule CourtCall, Zoom or in person appearances for cases
Coordinate and confirm deposition dates, arrange CSR, and if needed videographer, interpreter
Contact Courts as needed to obtain motion hearing dates, verify local rules, and/or special requirements
Type, gather supporting documents, organize, and execute filing of all motions and oppositions as instructed by attorney (including tables of contents and tables of authorities, exhibits)
Draft, prepare and file all pleadings (hard copy or electronically) at the proper court in a timely manner
Trial preparation including preparation of trial binders, exhibits, blow-ups, scheduling experts, MIL’s, CACI jury instructions, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS

College degree preferred
Must have 3-5+ years of litigation experience, plaintiff experience with personal injury and medical malpractice is a plus
Strong familiarity with Code of Civil Procedure rules and requirements
Must have knowledge of court filing requirements, including experience with e-filing in state and federal court
Strong software skills, knowledge (MS Office Suite) and calendaring
Exceptional communication and attention to detail
Strong project and task management skills
Must be highly detail-oriented and able to manage multiple high-volume priorities in a fast-paced environment
Ability to work with diverse personalities within various levels of the organization
Must exhibit well-developed interpersonal and client relation skills

BENEFITS

We offer excellent benefits (medical/dental/FSA), competitive salary and discretionary bonuses and profit sharing contributions. Hybrid Work From Anywhere (WFA) policy – 2 days in the office and 3 days from home.

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, citizenship, sex, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation (heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender expression or identity), political ideology, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Click here to submit your cover letter & resume

In the Community

Walkup team members have consistently contributed to the welfare and improvement of the people and communities of the Bay Area and Northern California.

Consistent with Walkup’s philosophy of giving back, UC Hastings Alumns Michael A. Kelly, Richard H. Schoenberger, and Matthew Davis committed $1 million to scholarships at San Francisco’s oldest and largest law school. The main lecture hall in the new academic building at 333 Golden Gate Avenue bears the Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger name.

Learn more

Here are just a few of the communities we've helped

Join our team.

Doris Cheng | Shareholder

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