Paralegal Manager

The Paralegal Manager is responsible for the hiring, staffing, training, supervision, and performance management of the general paralegal support functions that provide direct support to attorneys in delivering high-quality, timely legal services to the firm’s clients. The Paralegal Manager is also responsible for oversight of day-to-day work, including large or complex filings/projects; collaborating with Practice Support management on staffing and work allocation; and documentation of standard processes as needed to increase efficiency and quality of work within the Legal Support program. This role is critical in hiring, training, and professional development; acting as an escalation point; performance management; process creation, management, and documentation; direct support to internal and external customers; client interaction (as required); and trial support. This position is eligible to participate in the firm's flexible work program. RESPONSIBILITIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Collaborates with Director of Legal and Administrative Support regarding staffing needs and, when appropriate, assists with interviewing, hiring, and training and integrating new professional staff in the department Oversees the daily workflow of team members and monitors work quality, including delivery of effective feedback, coaching, and follow-up, as needed Provides leadership and mentoring to staff, including on-going performance management, feedback and coaching, identification of training opportunities, and preparation of career development plans Meet regularly with legal support team members to provide coaching and monitoring of workloads, performance, and engagement Handles timesheet administration, performance evaluations, and disciplinary process, including escalating employment matters to the head of the department and the Senior Director of Human Resources when necessary Monitor and optimize the team’s workload and billable/chargeable hours and report progress on a monthly basis Lead, manage, mentor and develop a team of paralegals, providing guidance, objectives, and professional development plans and ensuring appropriate staffing and resource levels Develop, implement, and maintain documented best practices and standards for paralegal support to include core responsibilities/competencies, processes, recommended workflow for common tasks (e.g., cite-checking, e-filing, calendar entry, routine reporting), operational support, and resources (e.g., knowledge management materials, guides, and checklists) Develop, manage, and maintain orientation, professional development, and training programs for Legal Support staff, including quarterly, department-wide programming; support and coordinate practice-specific training Maintain current knowledge of cite-checking, filing preparation, and e-filing protocols, particularly for jurisdictions in which the case teams routinely work, as well as proficiency with relevant technology Meet regularly with Director of Legal and Administrative Support to assess staffing, training needs, development of paralegal team, and planning for large/complex cases and projects Collaborate with the Docketing team to ensure all court and agency deadlines, as well as other relevant dates and statuses, are accurately entered into the docketing system, and updated timely Develop and maintain working relationships with practice groups, attorneys, and staff in order to identify and address performance issues, support needs, and opportunities to expand service offerings Assist attorneys and matter teams in all phases of trial preparation and trial support, including: planning of war room setup and location investigation; collaborating with eDiscovery team and firm IT on equipment, trial presentation, systems access, and other technology needs; coordinating any required vendor support services, including obtaining price quotes and necessary approvals for costs; and staffing onsite and office trial support Routinely deliver outstanding customer service to both internal and external stakeholders Other duties as may be assigned by attorneys, Director of Legal and Administrative Support, and Senior Director of Practice Support KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to build teams and relationships at all levels Demonstration of strong leadership, supervisory, and motivational skills Strong proficiency with cite-checking, court/agency deadline calculation from rules, and general paralegal support duties, familiarity with litigation discovery process highly desirable Ability to manage multiple requests, assess priorities, and achieve solutions under tight deadlines Proficiency in office productivity tools (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint; Adobe Acrobat Professional) with an aptitude for learning new technology; familiarity with document review platforms (e.g., Relativity) preferred Demonstration of strong attention to detail and accuracy Understanding of how to assist attorneys and case teams in all phases of trial preparation and trial support Maintenance of confidentiality of work-related information and materials Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in or out of a team environment Possesses and fosters within the department an environment of collaboration and sharing Demonstrated self-motivation, ownership, and commitment to perform responsibilities to high professional standards Willingness to learn and adopt new methodologies Flexibility and willingness to respond to requests and issues during and outside of core business hours OTHER DUTIES: Meets the department’s expectations to retrieve, read and/or respond to firm and client-related e-mail messages during and outside of core business and scheduled work hours by connecting a personal mobile device (smartphone or tablet with a data plan) to the firm’s network This description outlines the basic requirements of this position. It is not intended to be a complete description as other duties may be assigned. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience required; paralegal certificate or JD preferred Five (5) plus years of experience in a legal environment as a paralegal ; thorough knowledge of the litigation process Demonstrated experience managing and supervising multiple employees WORK ENVIRONMENT: Position operates in a professional office environment which is usually quiet to moderate Position routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets Position requires that the employee be able to multi-task in a fast-paced work environment PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This position is primarily a sedentary position. However, some duties and responsibilities may require the employee to lift files, open filing cabinets, bend or stand, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, occasionally move about to access office equipment, file cabinets, etc. May require employee to carry or lift items weighing up to 10 pounds The starting salary for this position is $150,000 annually. Actual salary will be determined based on skills, experience (to the extent relevant) and other job-related factors, consistent with applicable law. Wiley’s comprehensive benefits package includes medical and prescription drug plan coverage, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with firm discretionary contribution, generous paid time off (PTO) package plus ten firm paid holidays, access to state of the art on-site fitness facilities and locker rooms and wellness programming, paid parental leave and subsidized backup child/elder care, and more. Wiley is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, matriculation status, credit information, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense or stalking, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This Organization Participates in E-Verify. This employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9. #J-18808-Ljbffr Erik M Pelton & Associates, PLLC