Manager, Paralegal Services

Jenner & Block LLP is a law firm with a fearless reputation and global reach, high-level problem solvers in litigation, government controversies, investigations, regulatory challenges, and complex corporate transactions. With offices in Century City, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, the firm represents a wide range of clients, counseling Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, major nonprofits, top universities, private equity investors, and Native American tribes.

Consistently recognized as a firm that stands up for its values with its commitment to justice and community service, Jenner has been named the No. 1 pro bono firm 13 times in the United States by The American Lawyer.

As a leader within the career strategy function, the Manager of Paralegal Services oversees and drives the development, performance, and effectiveness of paralegal professionals and contributes to firmwide initiatives and growth. This role partners closely with legal teams, administrative leadership, the professional development team, and paralegal supervisors across offices to deliver consistent, high-quality, and efficient paralegal support aligned with the firm’s strategic priorities.

This role will serve as an advocate for the paralegals across the firm to ensure processes are streamlined and paralegals have the training support and resources they need to meaningfully contribute to their matter teams.

This individual plays a key role in talent management, resource planning, and operational excellence. The Manager ensures high levels of client satisfaction, team performance, and cross-office collaboration to support firmwide goals and legal service delivery.

• Partner with other firm departments to shape and implement strategic initiatives that ensure the consistent delivery of best-in-class paralegal services across all offices and practice groups.
• Provide leadership and advocacy for paralegal professionals, aligning team goals with firm priorities, ensuring staffing levels meet business needs, and promoting a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Serve as a liaison between legal teams and support departments to ensure seamless integration of paralegal resources within case teams.
• Coordinate and lead monthly meetings with supervisors to evaluate paralegal staffing and caseloads.

• Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and development of paralegal talent; identify growth opportunities aligned with individual and firm needs.
• Conduct performance evaluations, establish development plans, and provide real-time coaching and mentorship to promote continuous improvement and career advancement.
• Monitor performance metrics, manage workload distribution, and ensure billable hour targets are met across the team.
• Establish monthly firm-wide paralegal meetings to discuss firm business, review big cases and flush out ideas on areas of interest for additional training.

• Optimize workflows, resource allocation, and project staffing.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and professional development requirements (e.g., CLE, technical competencies).
• Monitor team engagement, morale, and productivity, proactively addressing performance or employee relations issues in partnership with Human Resources.

• Partner with the paralegal supervisors and the paralegal team to ensure teams have the resources they need to deliver responsive, client-focused service and maintain adherence to the highest standards of legal and ethical practice.
• Partner with attorneys and administrative leadership to identify opportunities for improved service delivery and efficiency.
• Champion the use of new technologies and practice-specific tools to enhance productivity and collaboration.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, and innovations in legal service delivery; serve as a thought leader within the department and broader firm.

• Minimum of five (5) years as a practicing paralegal in a law firm or corporate legal…