Paralegal Manager

Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP is a nationally recognized Am Law 200 law firm with over 500 attorneys servicing clients in 40 offices and 22 states seeking an experienced Paralegal Manager to join our Sacramento office. The Paralegal Manager oversees and manages an assigned group of Paralegals. The Paralegal Manager onboards, trains and supervises their assigned paralegal team and will be the first contact for any questions related to the paralegal role, offering advice and guidance on substantive work. Responsibilities include coordinating assignments and workflow, assisting with firm initiatives, coordinating and/or providing training, and maintaining direct daily contact with attorneys and support staff. This position reports to the Director of Legal Operations. Candidates must have substantive familiarity with the litigation process (i.e., case management, discovery, databases, privilege logs, court filings, e-filing, cite checking) and have the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. Paralegals need well-developed Microsoft Office skills, the ability to solve problems, and communicate well with all levels of the FMG team.

The following set of success factors describe the characteristics of those who are successful in our Firm:

Helpful, Congenial, Personable, Positive

Unpretentious, Approachable, Respectful, Team Oriented

Accountable, Takes Ownership, Corrects Mistakes

Organized, Timely, Confidential, Responsive (within 24 hours)

Essential Job Functions:

Monitors and assigns paralegal support to specific matters, determining scheduling and support requirements while ensuring that all deadlines are met

Manages timekeeping of direct reports by reviewing and approving weekly timecards, PTO requests, and monitoring and managing overtime requests

Conducts performance reviews

Coordinates training regarding all paralegal skills and support applications (includes coordinating seminars and educational gatherings as needed and ensuring MCLE requirements are met)

Understand and able to perform basic employee relations

Recruit, interview, and hire Paralegals; review/vet resumes, conduct and coordinate interviews, and obtain final approval for hiring

Work closely with firmwide Directors and Managers to implement and improve Paralegal policies and procedures

Monitor costs and expenses to assist in budget preparation

Assists in analyzing and reporting on paralegals’ time to assess workload, productivity, and ability to meet ongoing Firm needs

Provides paralegal support to attorneys with case organization, document management, witness interviews, discovery matters, administrative tasks, and trials

Assists attorneys with the preparation of a civil case for trial

Obtains, reviews, analyzes, and summarizes legal and evidentiary documents pertaining to cases

Manages discovery process and conduct records management

Schedules depositions and other meetings with clients, witnesses, experts, opposing counsel, court reporters and others

Identifies, locates, interviews, and evaluates potential experts and sends expert packages to parties for review

Tracks requests for documents and regularly follows up on progress of receipt

Summarizes case records, create chronologies, and summarize discovery responses

Organizes and prioritizes numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints with minimal supervision and exceptional attention to detail

Performs legal research quickly and efficiently to inform attorney decisions

Organizes and maintains case files, coordinating with Legal Assistants and other staff

Regularly reviews files and proactively works to move cases forward

Ensures all functions are performed in accordance with applicable client guidelines

Keeps accurate time records and meet a 600 annual billable hours requirement

Maintains positive relationships with firm attorneys, co-counsel, clients, and vendors

Assist with special projects and additional duties as assigned.

Education, Experience, and Skills:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required

Certificate in Paralegal studies required

5-7 years of litigation with some defense experience

Civil litigation experience required

Familiarity with performing legal and factual research tasks using web-based legal research services

Proficiency in an electronic file setting, comfortable with a paperless system

iManage experience

Must successfully pass a background/drug screen

Experience billing time in compliance with client guidelines and meeting a monthly billing target

Proficient in software programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Westlaw and Kofax PDF editor

Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints

Familiarity with workflow, roles, and responsibilities of professionals on legal teams

Excellent communication skills and ability to work with a wide variety of people at every level of the organization

Consummate professional, even tempered, and problem solver

Experience in a leadership or management role a plus

Ability to manage changing priorities and pressure situations

Open to improving and eager to develop professionally

What we offer you

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision

HSA and FSA plans available for employees and dependents

Work-life balance

Generous PTO policy

401K plan including a 3% Employer Safe Harbor contribution

Firm paid life insurance and long-term disability

Employee Assistance Program

Year-end bonuses and referral fee programs

Actual base pay within the range will also be dependent on other factors, including but not limited to, relevant experience, internal equity, skills, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

EEO Statement

Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP (FMG) is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees by maintaining a workplace free of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status as provided by law. FMG complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This position is subject to our drug‑free workplace policy, which includes the ability to pass a pre‑employment drug screen. Employees may be subject to reasonable‑suspicion drug testing in accordance with Firm policies outlined in the Employee Handbook.