Legal Support Services & Operations Manager

Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP•Chicago, IL

7d•$135,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP provides sophisticated intellectual property advice and legal services to many of the world’s largest, most innovative businesses, research institutions, universities, and entrepreneurs. For more than six decades, we have been exclusively dedicated to excellence in the practice of IP law. Our size and singular focus enhance efficiency, foster responsive and creative decision-making, and help clients achieve mission-critical results. We cultivate trust, communicate clearly, and deliver effective solutions. The Manager, Legal Support Services & Operations, will play a critical leadership role in shaping and evolving the Firm’s legal administrative support function. This leader will oversee a team of Legal Team Assistants, Legal Administrative Assistants, and Legal Support Specialists who support attorneys across Patent Prosecution, Litigation, Trademark, and Transactional practice groups. Reporting to the Director of Legal Support Services & Operations, the Manager will drive operational excellence through effective team leadership, training and development, staffing strategy, workflow optimization, and technology adoption. This position serves as a key operational partner to attorneys, administrative leadership, and business services teams, ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal support services while advancing the Firm’s long-term operational goals. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader who combines strong people management skills with operational expertise and a continuous improvement mindset.

Requirements

5+ years of demonstrated experience in legal administrative support management, operations management, or office administration, preferably within a law firm or professional services environment.
Familiarity with patent prosecution, trademark, litigation, or transactional legal support environments.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Experience supporting workflow redesign, operational improvement, or technology adoption initiatives.
Experience with legal technology platforms, docketing systems, or workflow management tools.
Experience developing training programs, onboarding initiatives, and operational documentation.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of legal administrative professionals. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, service excellence, and professional growth.
Establish and reinforce performance expectations and service standards. Conduct performance evaluations, provide ongoing coaching and feedback, and address matters in a timely and solutions-oriented manner.
Oversee onboarding, training, and ongoing development initiatives for legal administrative support staff. Partner with the Legal Support Training Specialist and firm leadership to build scalable training programs, operational resources, and development opportunities.
Manage attorney support assignments and staffing resources to ensure balanced workloads, effective coverage, and exceptional service delivery. Monitor utilization and operational capacity to support evolving business needs.
Evaluate and enhance workflows, processes, and support models to improve efficiency, consistency, and responsiveness across legal support functions.
Support the implementation and adoption of firm technologies, operational tools, and workflow enhancements. Identify opportunities to streamline operations and strengthen service delivery.
Collaborate with attorneys, firm leadership, Human Resources, and other business services departments to support operational priorities, employee development, and organizational effectiveness.
Promote cross-training, documentation, and knowledge sharing to strengthen operational consistency, reduce single points of failure, and enhance team effectiveness.