Focused on employment and labor law since 1958, Jackson Lewis P.C.’s 1,000+ attorneys located in major cities nationwide consistently identify and respond to new ways workplace law intersects business. We help employers develop proactive strategies, strong policies and business-oriented solutions to cultivate high-functioning workforces that are engaged and stable, and share our clients’ goals to emphasize belonging and respect for the contributions of every employee.
The Firm is ranked in the First Tier nationally in the category of Labor and Employment Litigation, as well as in both Employment Law and Labor Law on behalf of Management, in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”.
Job Summary (basic description)
The Immigration Paralegal Manager plays a key leadership role within the Legal Operations team, reporting to the Director of Legal Operations. This position is responsible for overseeing a team of paralegal leads and ensuring efficient and consistent operations across the national paralegal team. Key responsibilities include supporting lead functions such as hiring, interviewing, training, and performance monitoring, with a strong focus on managing billable hours achievement, maintaining program standards, and driving process improvements. The Manager will also help implement initiatives to enhance team performance and operational effectiveness. This position carries a billable expectation of 1,000 hours, allowing for continued engagement in hands-on paralegal work.
Essential Functions
Manager Responsibilities:
- Manage a team of immigration paralegal leads, ensuring operational objectives are being met, including excellent client service, skill-matched assignments and career development.
- Track paralegal billable and non-billable hours monthly to ensure compliance with firm expectations.
- Collaborate with immigration paralegal leads to oversee paralegal hours, monitor work performance, address challenges and manage performance issues as necessary.
- Monitor overall utilization of paralegals to ensure timely, high-quality work product and paralegals’ billable hours achievement.
- Document, administer and manage standard operating procedures for teams to follow to ensure efficiency and quality of paralegal work, serve as an escalation point for unique circumstances and review errors to determine appropriate safe-guards or adjustments in future processes.
- Partner with Learning & Professional Development to develop and administer training and development curriculum, ensuring they are up to date with legal practices and firm protocols, leveraging leads in implementation.
- Update and maintain paralegal program documents, training materials and other resources, including the intranet page content.
- Analyze and summarize various management reports, including but not limited to, overtime reports, time entry compliance tracking, productivity reports, etc.
- Proficiency with billing hours with software programs – Intapp experience is a plus – and adhering to billing policies and best practices.
- Proficiency with case and document management systems – Pathways and NetDocuments experience is a plus.
- Manage processes for paralegals involving performance evaluations, annual compensation, goal setting and performance management.
- Help drive a consistent annual evaluation process with constructive feedback, useful insights, and candid input from Leads.
- Ensure compliance with state and federal laws, maintaining the integrity of legal processes and documentation.
- Partner with Leads to assess caseloads, team needs and recommend appropriate adjustments to ensure proper staffing plans. Ensure appropriate backup and succession planning.
- Assist in implementation of firm and practice group best practices.
- Collaborate with practice group leaders and attorneys to align paralegal support with practice group, office, and client needs.
- Develop and cultivate positive working relationships across practice groups and firm leadership.
Immigration Paralegal Responsibilities:
- Wide range of experience in immigration paralegal tasks reflecting required level experience including, but not limited to:
- Analyze and review case details and determine future actions.
- Demonstrate strategic thinking and initiative with case assignments.
- Assist and support attorneys in the preparation and filing of immigration applications, including immigrant visa petitions, applications for permanent residency, naturalization. applications, including PERMs, preference petitions and adjustment of status applications.
- Liaison with relevant government agencies including USCIS, ICE, CBP, US Department of State, and US Department of Labor.
- Analyze, review and organize documents to identify additional documentation needed for specific filing.
- Assist attorneys with gathering evidence, preparing declarations and supporting documents, preparing evidence and exhibits, and complying with procedural requirements and filing deadlines for cases in the Immigration Court.
- Assist and support attorneys in obtaining civil and criminal court records for immigration matters.
- Prepare responses to audit requests.
- Maintain calendars, provide attorney billing/invoice processing support, complete reports, enter time records, create new files and update client matter reports.
- Address client case status inquiries, including steps in process remaining, processing times, and consular appointment issues.
- Responsible for personal billable time entries and maintaining billable hours requirements.
- Responsible for personal time management and productivity.
- Maintain 1,000 personal billable hours requirement while balancing supervisory tasks.
- Coordinate with KM/Product Specialist as necessary concerning case management system upgrades and training.
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Qualifications/Skills Required:
- Minimum of 7 years of relevant working experience in a paralegal role in a big law environment with at least 1-2 years’ experience directly supervising the work of others.
- Bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies or a related field, or equivalent working experience is required.
- Strong knowledge of legal principles and terminology, and excellent organizational and leadership skills are essential.
- Demonstrate positive leadership and the ability to work effectively within practice group, across departments and across offices.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Highly focused and detail-oriented with exceptional analytical skills.
- High reliability, team-oriented, professional demeanor.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to liaise with personnel at all levels of the firm in order to handle sensitive, urgent and confidential information appropriately and professionally.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive subject matter as it relates to performance matters.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and respect in all situations.
- Strong customer service skills, able to anticipate needs and exercise independent judgment.
- Ability to troubleshoot billing or training issues as needed by using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing a solution.
- Ability to organize ideas in a clear and logical flow that is easily understood by the audience.
- Must be proactive and have excellent time management/organizational skills.
- Results oriented with creative problem-solving skills.
- Understand industry and practice group priorities and goals; actively apply knowledge and perspective to a project.
- Prior experience working on a wide variety of immigration matters.
- Proficiency in MS Office software, including Word, Outlook and Excel.
For those applying for a position in the city of Los Angeles, the firm will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
For New York Metro area and Los Angeles, California, the expected salary range for this position is between $125,000 and $150,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.
For Boston, San Diego CA, Washington DC and Chicago, the expected salary range for this position is between $120,000 and $140,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law. This position is also eligible for annual bonuses
Jackson Lewis offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
· Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
· 401(k) Retirement Plan
· Flexible Spending & Health Savings Account
· Firm-paid holidays, vacation, and sick time
· Employee assistance program and other firm benefits.
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other characteristics protected by law. For those applying for a position in the city of Los Angeles, the firm will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.