Paralegal Manager

The Advocates - PNW•Portland, OR

3d•$75,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Advocates, a growing personal injury law firm with branches across the United States, is seeking an experienced and mission-oriented Litigation Paralegal Manager for its Portland office. This role is crucial to a close-knit team of attorneys, legal assistants, paralegals, and staff dedicated to supporting clients. The ideal candidate will be a highly experienced manager with hands-on litigation expertise, people leadership, and operational management skills. This position involves overseeing the daily operations, performance, development, and workload of the litigation paralegal team, ensuring high-quality litigation support. The manager may also handle a limited caseload of complex litigation matters and provide direct support to attorneys through all phases of civil litigation, including trial preparation. A strong understanding of Washington State civil litigation procedures is essential.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or Paralegal Certificate from an ABA-approved program preferred; equivalent experience considered.
Minimum 2–7 years of supervisory or management experience leading legal support staff or a team of employees in a comparable professional administrative environment.
Excellent organizational, leadership, and project management skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced litigation environment.
High level of professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail.
Experience implementing process improvements or managing departmental operations.
Reliably commute or planning to relocate to Portland, OR 97204.
Ability to attend in-person trials in all counties in Washington State.

Nice To Haves

Civil litigation paralegal experience, specifically trial litigation experience.
Familiarity and knowledge of Washington State civil litigation procedures, court rules, and filing requirements.
Experience managing litigation support within a law firm, insurance defense practice, governmental agency, or corporate legal department.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a team of litigation paralegals.
Assign and balance workloads based on case complexity, deadlines, and staffing needs.
Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching and professional development.
Assist with recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training new litigation paralegals.
Maintain and enforce departmental policies, procedures, and best practices.
Promote consistency, efficiency, and quality across litigation support services.
Monitor staffing needs and recommend process improvements and resource allocation.
Foster a collaborative, professional, and service-oriented team culture.
Manage a limited caseload of complex litigation matters if assigned.
Support attorneys through all phases of civil litigation, including case investigation and development, discovery planning and responses, document review and organization, medical records management, preparation of pleadings, motions, and trial exhibits, trial preparation and courtroom support.
Coordinate with experts, witnesses, opposing counsel, and court personnel.
Ensure compliance with court deadlines and procedural requirements.
Maintain accurate case files and litigation databases.
Monitor litigation workflows and performance standards.
Ensure compliance with organizational policies, confidentiality requirements, and legal ethics.
Evaluate litigation support technology and recommend improvements.
Collaborate with attorneys and leadership to improve operational efficiency.