Summary: As part of the firm‑wide Paralegal team, the position is responsible for assisting with the management of the firm’s paralegal program, with a particular focus on supervising the paralegal staff in California. The position involves assigning cases and coordinating work schedules for paralegals in the California offices; assisting with recruiting efforts; occasionally taking a lead role in initiating new projects; mentoring paralegals and promoting best practices; monitoring the performance of individual paralegals and the department as a whole, and taking action where necessary to yield improvements; and evaluating the effectiveness of existing training, onboarding, and orientation programs, including facilitating enhancements as needed.
This position is on a hybrid schedule, and may be based out of the Firm's San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Palo Alto office.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Assign projects to paralegals and coordinate workloads, workflows, and demand forecasting in collaboration with the Sr. Paralegal Manager and supervisors in other offices; assist with project work as needed to ensure best practices are followed and deadlines are met.
- Liaise with firm attorneys and business professionals to ensure paralegal services consistently meet or exceed expectations.
- Assist with the capture, analysis, and effective use of departmental business metrics, including utilization and billable hours, workload distribution, attorney/management satisfaction, and work product quality.
- Actively manage equity in hours to ensure workloads are evenly distributed.
- Coordinate with the Paralegal Management team, California office management, especially Directors of Administration, and Human Resources on the recruitment of California paralegals, and ensure effective orientation and onboarding.
- Provide continuing education for paralegals by creating, coordinating, and presenting in‑housetraining programs, as well as identifying ad hoc training opportunities on active matters.
- Participate in monthly department meetings and provide opportunities for regular 1:1 meeting with paralegals.
- Maintain administrative records, including attendance and PTO tracking.
- Participate in the annual evaluation process and provide regular feedback and constructive coaching to paralegals.
- Address personnel issues, including drafting written recommendations for disciplinary action or termination when necessary.
- Interact with outside entities—such as clients, government agencies, expert witnesses, vendors, corporate representatives, and other law firms—to gather information and coordinate activities as needed.
- Utilize existing information systems and procedures, or develop new processes, to facilitate the organization and retrieval of documents for attorneys and case teams.
- Perform other duties as requested by Firmmanagement.
- Uphold high standards of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity, particularly with respect to all sensitive and/or confidential firm and client information to which this position will have access.
Qualifications:
- At least 2 years of experience as a litigation paralegal in a comparable law firm or corporate legal setting is required.
- At least 4 years of supervisory experience is strongly preferred.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, and excellent organizational skills.
- Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. Must be highly organized and detail oriented.
- Ability to work independently and under pressure.
- Available to work outside normal business hours as required.
- Proficiency with current Microsoft Office software applications, including Copilot.
- Thorough understanding of the litigation process and common litigation support and discovery management procedures and concepts.
- Must be qualified to practice as a paralegal under CA state law.
- BA or BS degree from an accredited college or university is required.
Status: Exempt
Reports To: Sr. Paralegal Manager
Workplace Type: Hybrid
Salary Range of $110,000 - $143,000 (Dependent on experience and location)
Candidates hired for staff positions with a minimum work schedule of 30 hours per week are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare insurance. Learn more about benefits at Covington.
https://www.cov.com/en/careers/staff/benefits
View Covington job applicant privacy notice here: https://www.cov.com/en/job-applicant-privacy-notice
Covington & Burling LLP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any aspect of employment, including hiring, salary, promotion, discipline, termination, and benefits, on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, family responsibility, disability (including physical handicap), or any other improper criterion.
Covington will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with applicable laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
