Senior Manager, Legal Operations

Job Description

Job Description

Description

The Social Justice Legal Foundation seeks an experienced, resourceful, and detail-oriented operations manager, legal professional, or attorney to join our team as Senior Manager of Legal Operations. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Manager of Legal Operations will develop systems that enable and support the work of our litigators, both within SJLF and across its pro bono support teams of legal assistants and paralegals. This is a unique role for a flexible, resourceful person who wants to leverage a background in either fast-paced operations or in a legal environment to help a young nonprofit build its litigation capacity and ensure its resources are strategically and efficiently deployed. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest in social and racial justice issues and will thrive in developing this role alongside the Executive Director.

This role is hybrid and will require significant in-person responsibility at our downtown Los Angeles office every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, as well as the occasional Monday and/or Friday.

What You'll Do

This is a unique role combining elements of operations management, legal case management, and nonprofit administration. The key responsibilities are below, but the ideal candidate will be willing to jump in on any number of cross-functional projects and implement solutions to a variety of operational challenges.

Legal Practice Development & Management

• Monitor resource allocation within the legal team and, with the Executive Director and Fellowship Director, assist in decision-making based on strategic and programmatic objectives
• Work with the Fellowship Director to develop fellowship pipelines at law schools and clinics and develop opportunities for year-round legal work and special projects
• Administer case management systems through Asana and SharePoint, working with attorney case leads to project-manage complex litigation and assist in staffing
• Develop strategies and systems to properly leverage existing pro bono paralegal and legal assistant support and to systematically expand pro bono relationships 
• Support SJLF’s litigators in the day-to-day management of pro bono legal assistance and support, including managing staffing of legal support, new matter openings and close-outs, document retention, conflicts checks, tracking of client information, docketing, and file management
• Working with the Executive Director, and in consultation with the senior litigators, identify and pursue ways to improve work and information flow within case teams
• Working with the Executive Director, and in consultation with the senior litigators, identify and implement best practices, including for retainer agreements, timekeeping, expense-splitting, and co-counsel agreements
• Oversee the orientation and training of new staff, in coordination with senior litigators and Fellowship Director
• Oversee case schedule and deadlines for SJLF cases
• Draft materials highlighting SJLF’s docket and work for external audiences
• Ensure SJLF has the software and tools it needs from high-quality legal vendors and serve as primary contact for all vendors, including document management and review vendors, deposition and trial vendors, translators, legal research vendors, and others

Organizational Operations 

• Identify opportunities to develop or improve systems and standard operating procedures for a young nonprofit, including for intake, file management, vendor management, case management, performance management, onboarding, and other operational areas; develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and implement them on the team
• Develop and maintain expertise in SJLF’s technology tools, including SharePoint, Teams, Asana, Quickbooks Online, Toggl Track, and Microsoft Office suite to troubleshoot issues and serve as a reference for the team
• Serve as organizational point of contact for key consultants, ensuring work is completed in line with contracts
• With website developers, ensure SJLF’s website is kept up-to-date

Human Resources & Teams 

• Support hiring (including recruiting logistics and communication), onboarding/offboarding, and performance evaluations; administer organizational trainings and ensure timely compliance with internal procedures
• Manage updates to the employee handbook with legal and executive collaboration, and oversee employee adherence to internal policies related to travel, reimbursement, timekeeping, and mandatory trainings

What You'll Bring

The following list of core competencies and experiences is meant to provide insight into the general level of experience we seek in candidates. We encourage all qualified candidates and those with relevant or transferable experience to apply, even if you are new to mission-based work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or transitioning from a different sector.

• Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience with a record of increasing responsibility in a legal, nonprofit, or corporate operations setting 
• Demonstrated knowledge of the functions of a law practice
• Strong collaboration and project-management skills, as evidenced by experience owning and solving complex challenges and leading large projects
• Ability to work autonomously, anticipating problems and resolving them creatively with only light supervision 
• Very strong organizational skills, drive to initiate and complete projects, and the ability to manage many tasks on short- and long-term deadlines
• Eagerness to self-educate when needed
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience managing teams, communicating policies, and interacting with external stakeholders and vendors
• Willingness to assist with any organizational needs, big or small
• Interest in learning and using new technology, systems, and tools
• Self-awareness, commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and clients across diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications & Pluses:

• Prior experience as a senior or mid-level operations professional or in another administrative role working with executive teams is strongly preferred
• Prior experience with Asana or a similar project management tool is a plus
• Although this is a non-litigation role, a J.D. and experience litigating is a plus
• Prior exposure to nonprofit environments is a plus
• A foundation of HR compliance standards, with prior experience participating in hiring and onboarding staff, is a plus
• Experience with website design, graphics, and/or Canva or equivalent is a plus
• Proficiency in Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or other languages spoken by our constituencies is a plus

What We Offer

We care deeply about making SJLF an incredible place to work, so in addition to competitive pay, we offer great benefits to support our team and are always looking for ways to improve those offerings. Currently, they include:

• 100% employer-covered health insurance for you and 50% covered health insurance for dependents
• 99% covered dental and vision insurance 
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave after the first year
• A 403(b) plan with employer contribution 
• Health and dependent-care FSAs 
• 30 days of combined vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays and a year-end flexible closure between December 25 and January 1
• Short-term disability insurance 
• Commuter benefit
• Professional development budget
• This role is also eligible for a language bonus of $3,000 per year if the candidate regularly uses non-English language skills to communicate with our clients or community partners

Beyond those tangible benefits, though:

• You will be part of a growing team at a pivot point for the organization, and you'll have the opportunity to influence our work, culture, and systems for years to come.
• You will work in a learning environment, where we emphasize personal and career growth and support skill development in formal and informal ways.
• You will have significant autonomy in your work, and you will be part of the senior team that is consulted on strategy decisions that affect the organization.