Paralegal Manager

About the Position

The Paralegal Manager is a member of the Legal Management Team (LMT) and charged with the day-to-day management and support of a growing and dynamic paralegal team and is primarily responsible for directing and supervising the work of the Legal Department’s paralegals. In partnership with the Legal Management Team, they also will be responsible for helping to develop and maintain a legal docket that furthers NILC’s priorities and strategies and embracing and advancing the implementation of NILC’s strategic framework.  The ideal candidate exhibits deep technical skills and expertise as a litigation paralegal and a strong commitment to NILC’s mission.  They will also demonstrate a robust commitment to the applied principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice and an orientation to relationship building and collaboration with progressive movement organizational partners. 

This role is not a member of the Bargaining Unit.  

The Paralegal Manager will be responsible for providing leadership and driving success in the following key areas: 

Specific Position Responsibilities

·       Partner with Legal Management Team and Department to develop the Department’s litigation docket and overall workplan to ensure that programmatic priorities and objectives and litigation timelines are met.

·       Oversee and maintain a current master litigation calendar for the Legal Department.

·        Manage and maintain a sufficiently detailed legal docket summary and provide reports as needed for cross-departmental and management team needs.

·       Oversee monthly departmental reports: timekeeping, litigation and FOIA charts; case, client, and/or document databases; legal intake and technical assistance requests; attorneys' court admissions and ECF credentials in the federal and appellate courts, and SCOTUS.

·       Manage the preparation and maintenance of reports necessary to carry out the functions of the department including periodic reports for NILC leadership teams, as necessary or requested, to track strategic goal accomplishment.

·       Manage and develop paralegal team. Assign cases and/or projects to paralegals and monitor progress to ensure adequate case support and timely completion.

·       Oversee the preparation, filing, and service of legal documents such as subpoenas, pleadings, discovery, pretrial documents, briefs, and correspondence, including cite checking, formatting, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local rules and laws.

·       Develop and implement the systems and processes for producing legal documents, adhering to strict confidentiality of all aspects of the Legal Department’s work.

·       Design and implement systems, policies, and/or practices related to paralegals including efficient and optimal utilization of paralegals, as well as how to better integrate remote staff.

·       Provide research guidance and training support to the paralegals utilizing databases and electronic legal libraries.

·       Oversee state bar compliance and dues payment in collaboration with attorneys.

·       Partner with the LMT to design and implement systems, policies, and/or practices that promote equity, opportunity, and accountability with shared goals, policies and practices related to case selection, litigation approval, case staffing, and FOIA, amicus, and attorneys’ fees protocols.

·       Partner with the LMT and/or legal team members on special requests or highly complex projects. 

·       In collaboration with the Manager, Programs Knowledge, support with identifying, coordinating, and calendaring internal/external trainings including “in house” MCLE programs for legal team and non-legal team staff where appropriate.

·       Partner with the Programs functional leadership team to coordinate the development of cross-Departmental protocols/process for participation in conferences and training.

·       Collaborate with the other Programs Directors and Deputy Directors to create and maintain employee work schedules including assignments, job rotation, training, vacations, and paid time off, telecommuting, cover for absenteeism, and overtime scheduling as needed.

·       Partner with LMT, Programs Directors, and other Programs staff and leaders to understand individual employee’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals to better assign work tasks and projects.

·       Partner with LMT to create opportunities for Legal Department staff to grow their skills.

·       Support Legal team budget owner(s) in team budget management in collaboration with Finance team.

·       Manage Legal Department memberships and subscriptions, including  Westlaw and Thomson Reuters accounts.

·       May assist with fundraising efforts.

·       May be a part of a larger cross functional project using the MOCHA framework/methodology 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

·        Support the recruitment, interviewing, and hiring of staff and oversees staff onboarding & training.

·        Directly manage employees with possibility for additional staff.

·        Oversee the daily workflow of direct reports.

·        Act as a coach and mentor including providing constructive and timely feedback to foster a collaborative environment that develops strengths, improves weaknesses, and encourages creative problem-solving.

·        Actively manage direct and indirect reports using applicable performance management software including documenting regular 1:1 check-ins, goal progress, and any other relevant information in the system for performance and coaching purposes.

·        Handle discipline and performance issues in accordance with organizational policy.

·        Manage outside consultants, third party administrators, and vendors.

Shared Organization Responsibilities

·       Champion NILC & IJF’s mission of advancing the rights of immigrants with low income by demonstrating a commitment to human rights, and racial, economic, and social justice.

·       Attend and actively participate in NILC meetings at the organization, department, project, and individual level.

·       Develop relationships and support NILC and IJF colleagues across all teams, recognizing that each individual brings a unique background and perspective to the work and assuming good intent from each other.

·       Follow through on commitments acting with a clear sense of ownership individually and collectively by taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures, establishing clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results, and designing feedback loops into work.

·       Learn quickly when facing new situations by experimenting to find fresh solutions, taking on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, and extracting lessons learned from failures and mistakes.

·       Act with integrity by following through on commitments, being direct and truthful, keeping confidence, and showing consistency between words and actions.

·       Commit to centering NILC’s values of racial justice & equity, valuing diversity, fostering partnerships & collaboration, encouraging respect & personal well-being, and striving for transparency, integrity, and honesty in all decisions and actions.

In recognition of the fluidity of the work and ecosystem that NILC operates in, other duties may be assigned depending on organizational need.

What We’re Looking for in This Role

·        Commitment to NILC & IJF’s mission of advancing the rights of immigrants with low income and a demonstrated commitment to human rights, racial, economic, and social justice, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice for all.

·        Collaborative, proactive, and action-oriented working style with a strong service mentality promoting mutual accountability and inspiriting trust and confidence from colleagues, other NILC team members, and NILC leaders alike.

·        Sound judgment in decision-making, high integrity, and utmost respect for confidentiality.

·        Excellent verbal and written communication skills: ability to read, analyze, and interpret as well as draft documents such as reports, correspondence, and presentations for various audiences. 

·        Self-starter with a strong ability to move daily tasks forward in alignment with NILC’s broader organizational needs and goals.

·        Ability to manage in an ambiguous environment and quickly adaptable to change.

·        Experience leading and executing complex projects. 

·        Ability to clearly organize and communicate schedules, expectations, and any other information necessary for direct reports to do their job effectively.

Qualifications Required

·       Bachelor’s Degree and paralegal certification.

·       6-8+ years as a practicing litigation paralegal, including 2+ years managing paralegals and support staff.

·       Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing priorities, strategies, and circumstances.

·       Proficiency with in-office and virtual environments and software such as MS Office, research, and virtual collaboration tools.

·       Familiarity with legal resources/publications.

Preferred Qualifications

·       Master’s Degree

·       10+ years of combined experience as a practicing paralegal and management experience

·       Experience in litigation setting: nonprofit, litigation or social justice organization preferred.

·       Proficiency in non-English languages spoken by Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, African, Caribbean, and Arab communities a plus. Fluency in more than one language is desirable.

At NILC, we know that talented people may have different backgrounds or experiences, and if your education and experience doesn’t exactly align with the above that’s okay! NILC believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinking essential to its success and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants. NILC’s goal is for our people to reflect the communities in which we live and serve and to ensure representation of people of color, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in our organization. We encourage you to apply and let us know in your cover letter why you are qualified and the right fit for this role and NILC.

Work Environment

Location & Travel:

NILC's offices are located in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, California. For this role, up to 25% of overnight interstate travel may be required; travel is typically quarterly to the NILC Washington, DC office or another location within the US for 3-5 nights.

Compensation & Benefits:

NILC’s compensation and benefits philosophy is to provide a competitive offering in the nonprofit sector and ensure equity across the organization. The salary range for this role is $97,000 – 121,300.

NILC's benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, STD, and LTD insurance, healthcare and dependent care FSA, stipends and/or reimbursements for wellness, phone, and internet, generous paid time off, a robust holiday schedule, an employee assistance program (EAP), along with additional voluntary insurance packages.

Physical Demands

·       Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods.

·       Communicating with others to exchange information.

·       Repeating motions, like typing or answering a phone, that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.