Director, Paralegal Services

Director, Paralegal Services at Quarles & Brady LLP

Join to apply for the Director, Paralegal Services role at Quarles & Brady LLP. The Director will lead the strategic direction, management, and development of the firm’s paralegal, legal project assistant, and legal specialist resources across all offices.

Office Locations:
Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Naples, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Diego, Tampa, Tucson, Washington D.C.

The Director reports to the firm's Chief People & Diversity Officer and works closely with Practice Group leadership. While the role is open to all cities where the firm has offices, there is a strong preference for candidates based in Chicago, Milwaukee, or Phoenix.

At Quarles, your goals matter. We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture where your voice is heard and your growth is supported. Join a team that values creativity, flexibility, and shared success.

• Supportive, adaptable work environment
• Career development through mentoring and training – Professional growth opportunities
• Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits

• Create and execute a strategic vision for paralegal, legal project assistant, and legal specialist teams.
• Drive innovation in legal service delivery through process improvement, technology adoption, and talent development.
• Collaborate with practice group leaders and managers to align team capabilities with client and practice needs.

• Lead paralegal, legal project assistant, and legal specialist populations and serve as their direct supervisor.
• Manage workflow and workload distribution.
• Evaluate staff in conjunction with practice groups.
• Lead performance evaluation process and compensation/bonus programs for paralegal, legal project assistant, and legal specialist populations.
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, and integration in partnership with the recruiting team.

• Provide regular feedback and support professional growth through training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Identify and address training and development needs, opportunities, and goals.
• Develop and deliver training programs that promote skill advancement at both the individual and team levels.
• Work with paralegal teams and practice group leaders to professionally develop paralegals based on their individual needs.
• Understand drivers of paralegal success in each practice group and help manage paralegals toward common goals.

• Establish and maintain best practices for workflow, utilization, and resource allocation.
• Partner with Legal Operations & Innovation to implement tools and systems that enhance productivity.
• Monitor billable and nonbillable time metrics to assess team performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Work closely with Human Resources, Recruiting & Integration, Learning & Development, Information Technology, Finance, and other administrative departments.
• Travel approximately 25% of the time is anticipated.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Minimum of five years’ experience supervising and managing in a law firm or legal services environment required.
• Minimum of five years’ experience as a paralegal.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and written and oral communication skills required.
• Proven leadership experience managing large, diverse teams.
• Ability to lead change and drive innovation.
• Strong customer service attitude required.
• Demonstrated strategic qualities and ability to earn trust of firm leaders, attorneys, and colleagues.
• Ability to coordinate multiple issues and projects simultaneously; work well under pressure and solve problems.
• Collaborative and resourceful, with the ability to mentor and train others.
• Ability to use sound judgment and discretion in dealing with highly confidential information.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment.

Quarles is an equal opportunity employer.

If you have any questions or require additional information regarding this position, please contact:
Jennifer McKinney, Manager, Legal Recruiting,