Job Title: Legal Administrative Assistants Supervisor
Department: Legal Administrative Assistants Department
Summary: The Legal Administrative Assistants Supervisor is responsible for both supervisory duties and legal administrative assistant (LAA) tasks. The supervisory role involves coordinating and monitoring the staffing needs of legal administrative assistants and distributing assignments to ensure adequate support for all lawyers. The LAA responsibilities include providing detailed and high-level legal secretarial and administrative support within a Secretarial Service Center (SSC) consisting of a team of 3 or 4 legal administrative assistants.
Job Responsibilities:
Supervisory Duties:
- Coordinate the distribution of overflow work.
- Approve and manage requests for paid time off (PTO) and arrange coverage as necessary.
- Review and approve secretarial timesheets.
- Maintain daily attendance records and provide daily attendance lists for secretarial and attorney staff to Client Services Specialists and the Director of Administration (DoA).
- Prepare annual performance evaluations and conduct evaluation meetings with secretaries.
- Review ongoing job performance and document, monitor, and counsel secretarial staff as needed for work performance or behavior-related issues.
- Mentor legal administrative assistants, share knowledge and best practices, and provide guidance on firm policy and procedural questions.
- Inform the DoA of any serious problems.
- Assist with the placement of new attorney arrivals in appropriate secretarial shares.
- Conduct new attorney orientations related to secretarial responsibilities and departmental practices and procedures.
- Conduct departmental orientation for new support staff hires.
- Maintain regular interaction with secretaries and attorneys.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Ensure timely and regular attendance.
Legal Administrative Assistant Duties:
- Coordinate and maintain effective office procedures and efficient workflow, complying with firm policies and establishing harmonious working relationships.
- Work effectively with other legal administrative assistants within the assigned SSC, providing occasional coverage to other SSCs and volunteering for overflow work assignments when time permits.
- Schedule client meetings, reserve conference rooms, and coordinate audio-visual equipment and food needs via CovReservations. Register firm guests through Passage Point.
- Coordinate all aspects of lawyers’ travel arrangements and prepare travel itineraries via CovTravel; monitor and process travel reimbursements in a timely manner via ChromeRiver; maintain Outlook calendar and monitor crucial due dates for lawyers as required.
- Organize, coordinate, and communicate pertinent information with other team members; answer phones and direct callers as required.
- Utilize iManage document management system effectively as a central repository for all matter-related documents.
- Type, revise, and proofread general correspondence, memos, legal documents, and reports in Excel from various sources, ensuring accuracy and clarity of all work products in a timely manner.
- Create and maintain up-to-date lawyer preference information supported by the SSC, reflecting specific instructions and expectations of the lawyers.
- Establish and maintain records of documentation in searchable electronic formats. File hard copy data and documents as necessary and retrieve information from storage as requested.
- Maintain lawyers’ time in 3E, proofread and submit finalized time to Accounting daily (unless directed otherwise by the client). Maintain knowledge of client requirements for billing and prepare client billing as required.
- Coordinate any planned time out of the office with team members prior to submitting a request to the DoA for approval.
- Deliver timesheets to the DoA for approval in a timely manner; all overtime must be pre-approved by the DoA.
- Maintain an appropriate sense of urgency and complete all work assignments within agreed-upon deadlines.
- Participate in the Legal Administrative Assistants Certification Program.
- Perform other duties as necessary and as assigned by the DoA for efficient functioning of the department.
- Uphold high standards of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity, particularly concerning sensitive and/or confidential firm and client information.
Education and Experience Information:
- Minimum of 2 years of direct supervision of 10 or more people.
- Experience and training in HR fundamentals, employee relations, and performance management best practices.
- In-depth knowledge of legal secretarial services and processes in a mid-large firm or professional services setting is strongly preferred.
- College degree strongly preferred.
Qualifications:
- Ability to work effectively in a team management dynamic.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven ability to interface effectively with personnel at all levels.
- Highest standards of confidentiality, discretion, client service, and professionalism.
- Excellent documentation and follow-up skills.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to multi-task in a high-paced environment.
- Promptness in addressing employee performance issues and conflicts.
- Flexibility to work extra hours as needed.
- Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
- Ability to prioritize and coordinate work.
- Ability to manage workflow and delegate projects as necessary.
- Ability to think critically and analytically in a pressured environment.
- Ability to constantly learn new skills as they become necessary.
Equipment and Systems:
- Equipment: computer, duplicating machines, scanners.
- Systems: iManage, MS Office, Elite, 3E, Chrome River, CovReservation.
Salary Information:
- Salary Range: $93,000 - $132,000 (dependent on experience).
- Candidates hired for staff positions with a minimum work schedule of 30 hours per week are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance.
