Maria Benavidez
Miami,FL
Summary
Detail-oriented Legal Assistant with extensive experience supporting litigation teams in dynamic law firm environments. Skilled in case management, court filings, legal research, and client communication. Bilingual in English and Spanish, with intermediate proficiency in French. Eager to expand expertise beyond litigation and contribute to diverse areas of law.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Legal Assistant
Gelber Law Group
11.2024 - Current
- Organized and maintained case files and legal documents within the firm’s case management system, proactively flagging case needs for attorney review.
- Managed attorney calendars, including hearings, trials, mediations, and conferences, ensuring compliance with deadlines and procedural rules.
- Drafted and filed pleadings, including notices and motions, in state, federal, and DOAH courts, and coordinated hearing scheduling through JACS, CourtMAP (CMAP), JAWS, and Palm Beach County’s Online Scheduling System (OLS).
- Drafted routine correspondence and coordinated communications with clients, courts, judicial assistants, and opposing counsel.
- Drafted, issued, and tracked subpoenas for records and depositions.
- Responded to client inquiries with accurate procedural guidance and ongoing case support.
- Developed client-focused deposition communications, including detailed scheduling letters and clear preparation guides outlining deposition expectations.
- Trained new staff on office procedures and best practices for legal documentation and filing processes.
Legal Assistant
Cernitz Law
02.2021 - Current
- Prepare case briefs and summarize depositions, interrogatories and testimony
- Organizing and maintaining case files and legal documents.
- Manage four (4) attorneys calendar including scheduling hearings, trial, mediations, conferences
- Provide status updates to clients on their cases.
- Translate documents, interviews, depositions and mediations.
- Assist the attorneys in all aspects of investigations, discovery, and preparation of trials.
- Research case law, statutes, regulations and other legal authorities to support assigned tasks.
- Drafting and composing typing routine correspondence, reading and routing of incoming mail, taking calls from clients, attorneys, adjusters, judicial assistants, opposing counsel, etc.
- Court filings with state and federal courts (PACER), ensuring compliance with court deadlines, rules and procedures.
Legal Intern
AYUDA USA Immigration Lawyers
09.2020 - 01.2021
- Assisted with preparation of petitions/applications for various immigration-related matters (PERM, I-140, CP, AOS, Naturalization, H-1B, L, E-1/2, TN, O-1, J)
- Provided interpretation/translation support to Spanish-speaking clients by educating them on firm services/options
- Participated in client consultations, helping to address their concerns and provide valuable information regarding their cases.
- Maintained accurate and timely client documentation records by inputting all relevant information in both internal and external (USCIS) systems.
- Performed case research on immigration law for clients from Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
- Compiled supporting documentation for immigration cases, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and financial records.
Political Campaign Intern
Reach Voters
05.2020 - 08.2020
- Managed Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar Facebook page and created social media posts and videos; responded to messages, inquiries, and comments
- Attended political meetings, debates, and fundraisers
- Translated written and verbal communications in English and Spanish; translated text projects including legal documents, news articles, and corporate reports
- Responsible for detailed weekly readings and research on government policy and programs.
Political Affairs Associate
The Borgen Project
06.2018 - 09.2018
- Mobilized 50 people to email, call, and mail their Congress members in support of key poverty-reduction legislation
- Lobbied with members of congress and congressional staffers in FL State and District to address global poverty
- Assisted with fundraising by creating a personal fundraising campaign
- Conducted research on poverty bills and pro-actively participated at team meetings with coordinators
- Represented The Borgen Project at various business, political, and community events.
Education
Paralegal Certificate - Law
University of Miami
Miami, FL05-2023
BA - International Relations
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY05.2020
Skills
- Legal Document Preparation
- Administrative & Litigation Support
- Review of Pleadings
- Legal/Court processes
- Legal Translation
- MS Office
- Client support
- Nulaw
- Clio
- Teams
- Slack
- Lead Docket
- NetDocuments
- Google Docs
Certification
- LexisNexis Certified
- Westlaw Certified
- Clio Certified Administrator
- PracticePanther Certified
Languages
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
English
Native/ Bilingual
French
Professional Working
Timeline
Legal Assistant
Gelber Law Group
11.2024 - Current
Legal Assistant
Cernitz Law
02.2021 - Current
Legal Intern
AYUDA USA Immigration Lawyers
09.2020 - 01.2021
Political Campaign Intern
Reach Voters
05.2020 - 08.2020
Political Affairs Associate
The Borgen Project
06.2018 - 09.2018
BA - International Relations
Syracuse University
Paralegal Certificate - Law
University of Miami