Department: Workplace Services Operations 

Location: Seattle, WA 

Role: Team Leader 

The Role 

This role is in Seattle, WA and is not open to remote candidates. This role will ensure the legal support team meet the demands of the firm and its clients. This role will be responsible for the successful delivery of a high-quality, client-focused legal support service, through the operational day-to-day management of a team of Legal Assistants and Paralegals. They will work closely with other Team Leaders focusing on understanding the business and practice needs, working with the Legal Support Managers (LSM) and fee earners to deliver appropriately excellent client focused support services. This role will also manage their own desk of attorneys.  

Key Responsibilities 

People Management 

• Manage individual performance of allocated support resources including regular progress meetings and career conversations  

• Ensure the smooth induction of new starters and supporting Legal Support Managers in ensuring awareness and understanding of HR, department and client specific policies, procedures, and information 

• Act as a coach to develop the team to the highest standards 

• Identify appropriate training to support personal development through feedback, performance management and continued assessment of training needs 

• Mentor and advocate for the Legal Assistants/Paralegals 

Management of Support Services 

• Manage legal support teams with a focus on service delivery and excellence; coordinate and resolve issues relating to workflow to ensure deadlines are met, resource availability, working relationships, service delivery and HR matters 

• Manage resource allocation following PTO or leaves of absences etc. to ensure service levels are maintained with a fair distribution of workload and cover 

• Work closely with other Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers to support wider group. Ensure full understanding of the group’s aims and objectives 

• Develop relationships and proactively manage services around agreed SLAs, and ensure successful team management and workflow allocations 

• Responsible for ensuring the prioritization of work appropriately, balancing fee earning work and capacity, liaising with other Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers on embeds and flows of activity 

• Identify head count issues to Legal Support Managers and work to create effective solutions and work-sharing 

• Participate in the recruitment and selection process for team members.  

• Keep abreast of issues, anticipate changes in demand/regulatory changes and effect timely interventions to address the changes, working with Legal Support Managers to introduce these into the service 

• Proactively and flexibly work with the other Team Leaders to improve the quality and efficiency of legal support services provided to the business, ensuring consistency of approach 

• Participate in legal support team meetings 

• Maintain appropriate statistics to fit the requirements of SLA report monitoring 

• Approval of time off, absences, overtime etc. 

• Develop and manage the current services being provided as well as considering future changes in line with technology changes and the changing needs of our clients/the business, and liaise with other Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers on suggested adjustments 

• Liaise with other Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers to co-ordinate desk allocations, moves and changes in conjunction with IT and Workplace Services. 

• Ensuring high standards of service are consistently maintained and developed. 

Quality of Service 

• Drive the delivery of exceptional client service, quality and consistency across team members and ensure processes are developed positively, with best practice shared with other Team Leaders, Legal Support Managers, and colleagues across the region 

• Ensure full compliance by the legal teams of our policies and procedures (e.g. Compliance, ISO, Finance), engaging with other offices/regions where appropriate 

• Actively support and be a champion for department/firm initiatives, engaging with other offices/regions where appropriate and driving implementation of changes 

• Participate in department projects, adopting common project methodologies from initiation to completion and ensuring business requirements, objectives and anticipated benefits are understood and achieved 

• Any other duties as required, commensurate with the level of the post 
   

Essential Skills & Experience 

• High school diploma or GED, with 5 – 7 years relevant experience in a law firm setting  

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to quickly establish credible relationships at all levels 

• Ability to balance conflicting priorities, be alert to potential problems and challenge working practices  

• Proactive and collaborative 

• Confidential and discreet but able to redirect information when appropriate to ensure areas of concern are resolved efficiently and effectively 

• Ability to work within and manage effective working processes excellent service delivery 

• Ability to lead, motivate and develop people and act as a role model 

• Attention to detail and the highest quality standards 

• Resilient with the ability to manage or escalate difficult situations effectively and stay calm under pressure 

• Good influencing skills 

• Customer service focused 

• Management traits and excellent communication skills 

• Demonstrable suitability to work in a management role and an ability to communicate effectively at all levels 

• Ability to build and maintain excellent working relationships with all staff levels 

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills 

Salary Range for this role is $100,000 - $120,000. The range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. It is not typical for an individual to be hired near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. 

The Firm

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Our Commitment

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity. Learn more about our interview process.

A Note on Privacy

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice.. This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it’s used for, how it’s obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject.

If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.

This is the job description as constituted at present; however, Clyde & Co reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the business.