Legal Support Manager

Jobtailor; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Massachusetts is seeking a senior-level Legal Support Manager to oversee recruiting, development, and performance of a large legal support staff across multiple offices. You will direct practice-group resources, ensure staffing aligns with workload, and implement strategies to improve service levels and morale.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive experience in legal support environments, and the ability to partner with HR on policy and development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in experience and/or training.
• Demonstrated experience managing large legal support teams and working in a large law firm or professional services environment.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive management experience, preferably within a legal/professional services environment.
• Experience leading resources supporting multiple individuals in multiple locations and/or priorities.
• Strong collaborative leadership and management skills.
• Strong supervisory skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in maintaining working relationships with lawyers and staff.
• Ability to influence individuals at all levels internally and externally.
• Ability to identify issues, develop creative and effective solutions, and resolve conflicts.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to communicate and present information and respond to questions from lawyers, staff, and clients.
• Understanding of practice-level technology is a plus.
• Demonstrated practice-area knowledge in Intellectual Property (patent prosecution and trademark) docketing and litigation procedures is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Manage all aspects of legal support staff management, including hiring, development, direct supervision, and performance management.
• Lead and direct assigned practice-group legal support staff.
• Assign resources and manage schedules, performance, and compensation decisions.
• Develop understanding of practice-group operations and ensure staff have appropriate skills and training.
• Analyze performance data and identify recommendations and strategies to improve legal support services.
• Conduct regular check-ins with legal support staff and attorneys.
• Partner with Human Resources on policy guidance, coaching, counseling, career development, and corrective action.
• Improve work relationships, morale, productivity, and retention.
• Support employee engagement through team building, community service, and site initiatives.
• Collaborate with Legal Support Administration managers to optimize work assignments.
• Foster relationships between legal support and administrative staff to improve workflows and solve billing, intake, conflicts, travel, and other administrative problems.
• Serve as Legal Support Administration point of contact in the local office.

Skills

Managing large teams

Management experience

Resource planning

Collaborative leadership

Supervisory skills

Communication skills

Judgment and discretion

Influence

Problem solving

Flexibility and adaptability

Presentation skills

Tech-savviness

IP knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Practice-Level Technology

Job description

• Manage all aspects of legal support staff management, including hiring, development, direct supervision, and performance management
• Lead and direct assigned practice-group legal support staff
• Assign resources and manage schedules, performance, and compensation decisions
• Develop understanding of practice-group operations and ensure staff have appropriate skills and training
• Analyze performance data and identify recommendations and strategies to improve legal support services
• Conduct regular check-ins with legal support staff and attorneys
• Partner with Human Resources on policy guidance, coaching, counseling, career development, and corrective action
• Improve work relationships, morale, productivity, and retention
• Support employee engagement through team building, community service, and site initiatives
• Collaborate with Legal Support Administration managers to optimize work assignments
• Foster relationships between legal support and administrative staff to improve workflows and solve billing, intake, conflicts, travel, and other administrative problems
• Serve as Legal Support Administration point of contact in the local office

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in experience and/or training
• Demonstrated experience managing large legal support teams and working in a large law firm or professional services environment
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive management experience, preferably within a legal/professional services environment
• Experience leading resources supporting multiple individuals in multiple locations and/or priorities
• Strong collaborative leadership and management skills
• Strong supervisory skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in maintaining working relationships with lawyers and staff
• Ability to influence individuals at all levels internally and externally
• Ability to identify issues, develop creative and effective solutions, and resolve conflicts
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to communicate and present information and respond to questions from lawyers, staff, and clients
• Understanding of practice-level technology is a plus
• Demonstrated practice-area knowledge in Intellectual Property (patent prosecution and trademark) docketing and litigation procedures is beneficial

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong leadership and management capabilities in overseeing legal support staff, with a focus on performance management, team development, and operational efficiency. Possesses expertise in legal support services, particularly in Intellectual Property practices, and excels in communication and relationship-building within a professional services environment.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Legal Support Team Management
• Performance Management
• Collaborative Leadership
• Intellectual Property Knowledge
• Communication Skills

Hard Skills

• Performance Analysis
• Resource Allocation
• Conflict Resolution
• Docketing Procedures
• Litigation Procedures

Soft Skills

• Supervisory Skills
• Judgment and Discretion
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Team Building
• Employee Engagement

Industry Keywords

• Legal Support Services
• Professional Services
• Large Law Firm
• Career Development
• Community Service

Tools & Technologies

• Practice-Level Technology