Director, Paralegal Services

Director, Paralegal Services role at Quarles & Brady LLP

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

The Director, Paralegal Services will lead the strategic direction, management, and development of the firm’s paralegal, legal project assistant, and legal specialist resources. This key role is responsible for building a high-performing team that delivers innovative, efficient, and high-quality legal support across all practice areas. The Director reports to the firm’s Chief People & Diversity Officer and works closely with Practice Group leadership.

Although the position is open at all office locations, 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.

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

• 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 individual and team levels.
• Work with the teams and practice group leaders to develop paralegals based on their individual needs.
• Understand the drivers of paralegal success in each practice group and manage towards those 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 improvement areas.
• 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.
• Minimum of five years’ experience as a paralegal.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Proven leadership experience managing large, diverse teams.
• Ability to lead change and drive innovation.
• Strong customer service attitude.
• Demonstrated strategic qualities and ability to earn the confidence 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.

Quarles & Brady offers competitive salaries, bonus, and great benefits to employees including paid time off, health, vision, dental, 401k, life, disability and much more. Benefit eligibility is dependent on hours. Compensation is determined upon the market in which the position is located, the responsibilities of the position, the experience, education and skills of the applicant, and other job-related factors. The salary range for this position is $160,000 to $225,000 annually.

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