Paralegal Director

Overview

Foley & Lardner has an exciting new opportunity for a Director, Paralegals. The Director will be responsible for managing all aspects of the firm’s paraprofessional program encompassing all three law departments - Business Law, Intellectual Property, and Litigation.

This role will drive firm-wide strategic direction and management of recruiting, onboarding, integration, training and development, performance management and compensation, utilization, and work allocation for the firm’s paraprofessional team.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains a firmwide paraprofessional program that includes all three law departments with a focus on ensuring superior internal and external client support.
• Analyzes existing paraprofessional programs and staffing structures; recommends and implements changes as necessary. Introduces strategic and innovative approaches to process improvement focusing on overall operation of the paraprofessional team with a focus toward client service.

Continuously reviews and enhances policies, processes, and procedures.

Develops robust hiring criteria and development and advancement frameworks, driving consistency across the law departments where possible.

Collaborates with Human Resources as necessary.

• Supports the professional development of paraprofessionals through the implementation of consistent onboarding and integration initiatives, and a variety of on-going training programs and knowledge management resources beyond required CLE, collaborating with the Professional Development team as necessary.
• Proactively addresses attorney and client paraprofessional support needs and creates workflow coverage plans. Monitors utilization and realization of all paraprofessionals and works with paralegal managers and attorneys to adjust resources as appropriate.

Work with Department Operating Officers to align capacity with demand.

• Collaborates with legal departments and accounting & finance on paraprofessional billing rates.
• Prepares, monitors, and oversees budgeting for paraprofessional program including salaries, bonuses, overtime, and administrative spend.
• Builds relationships with paraprofessional team as well as firm leaders and other attorneys and business professional stakeholders across the firm to accomplish responsibilities and goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of legal and / or paraprofessional experience, including at least five (5) years of significant managerial experience required.
• Experience working in / managing paraprofessionals in more than one practice area (corporate, litigation and / or IP) preferred.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without consideration to their race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, domestic partner status or medical condition.

Foley & Lardner LLP will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance.

Foley offers a comprehensive benefit program which currently includes Paid Time Off; Paid Holidays; Medical, Dental and Vision insurance;

401(k) Retirement; Disability and Life insurance; Adoption Assistance; Backup Care for Dependents. Pursuant to the CA Pay Transparency for Pay Equity Act and New York City Human Rights Law, the expected salary range for this Los Angeles or New York based position is between $171,800 - $280,100.

These figures represent the full compensation range of this position. The actual offered amount will be determined based on the following factors : education, experience, geographic market, and internal pay equity at Foley.