Senior Paralegal

Democracy Forward seeks an experienced, confident, collaborative and detail-oriented Senior Paralegal and Practice Manager to support our Litigation and Legal Assistant teams.

Interested in this role You can find all the relevant information in the description below.

The Senior Paralegal and Practice Manager will play an instrumental role in helping our legal team operate effectively and efficiently and advancing our work at this critical moment.

They will build trust and an understanding of the organization’s goals, priorities, and culture to help curate a positive, empowering, and productive work experience for the Legal team and those working with the Legal team.

The Senior Paralegal and Practice Manager will be responsible for the management, development and support of the legal assistants, including the management of their work allocation.

The ideal candidate will bring experience as a senior paralegal or legal practice manager, the ability to build trust with colleagues, a thoughtful and transparent communication style, a high degree of emotional intelligence and a passion for Democracy Forward’s mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with organizational and departmental leadership to direct legal assistants’ workflow and priorities
• Manage, support, and develop the legal assistant team, including serving as the primary point of contact for legal assistants on workflow
• Support Democracy Forward’s Legal Directors and litigators in the day-to-day administrative management of the Legal Team, including the management of new matter openings and matter close-outs, document retention, conflicts, tracking of legal matters and file management
• Support Democracy Forward’s Director of People, Culture, and Operations with workflow management and resource allocation for the legal team
• Develop relationships with the team to foster trust and confidence in the function and role of manager
• Conduct regular check-ins with the legal assistant team and litigation team to ensure appropriate resource allocation and excellent work product
• Provide training, development, feedback, and opportunities for growth for the legal assistant team
• Responsible for developing and maintaining best practices for our LA’s work
• Assist with the onboarding of new litigation hires
• Collaborate with the Manager for Talent Acquisition to hire legal assistants
• Collaborate across teams at Democracy Forward

Qualifications

• Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience with a record of achievement and increasing responsibility in a litigation setting, with demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the functions of a law practice
• Experience managing complex workflows and mentoring & training junior legal assistant team members
• Superb interpersonal skills, with an impressive history of forging strong relationships with stakeholders
• Demonstrated commitment to Democracy Forward’s mission
• Self-awareness, commitment to diversity and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Commitment to workplace inclusion and ability to contribute affirmatively to a just and equitable workplace culture
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations using tact and diplomacy
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to develop relationships of trust and confidence with colleagues
• Outstanding communications skills, both written and verbal

Location, Salary and Benefits

This position is based in the Washington, DC area and candidates must work in Democracy Forward’s Washington, DC offices as needed, likely several days each week.

This position reports to the Director of People, Culture, and Operations.

Democracy Forward provides a competitive compensation and benefits package. The salary range for this position is $90,000 - $110,000, based on years of relevant experience and seniority. The role is exempt.

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