Practice Support Manager

Department: Office Administration

Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm with 15 offices across the United States seeks an experienced professional to be responsible for the management of Legal Administrative Assistants, (LAAs) and Legal Support Assistants (LSAs) who provide administrative practice support services for lawyers in the Washington, DC office. This includes creating and sustaining high-functioning teams to support the diverse and changing needs of lawyers and clients. The selected individual will be responsible for the full cycle of its team members, including recruiting, onboarding, training, and performance management.

Our Manager will:

• Manage the orientation, training, and professional development/evaluation and counseling for professional staff. Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive staff training and development programs.
• Meet with lawyers regularly to assess the performance of practice support teams and individual members. Assess degree to which lawyers' needs are being met. Assist in managing lawyer expectations.
• Annually evaluate employees' job performance and conformance to policies and procedures, and recommend appropriate salary increases or other personnel action.
• Discuss job performance issues with employees regularly in order to identify causes and issues, and to work on resolving problems. Implement and monitor action plans.
• Provide practice support personnel with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems, and in resolving complaints or disputes.

Prepare gap analyses of practice support needs versus capabilities through various internal assessments (e.g., testing, check-ins with lawyers), consideration of best practices, and using prior experience of successful transition to high functioning team support model. Establish a can-do norm of performance and a sense of true team among the practice support team members.

Strong leadership, problem solving and interpersonal skills are essential to be successful in this position. Must be an effective communicator with excellent speaking and writing skills and possess strong financial, analytical and project management skills.

Qualified candidates will have a minimum of five years of progressive management experience in a law firm or similar professional services environment that includes experience in successfully implementing team support models. Direct Support Staff management experience is required and HR experience is a plus. A high degree of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook). Bachelor's degree, preferred.

Ballard Spahr offers an excellent benefits package which includes medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage; life insurance, short and long-term disability; 401(k) retirement savings plan with a firm contribution and match; and a generous paid time off program. Additional benefits provided are health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts, and a health savings account; firm subsidized emergency child and elder care services; family and medical leave; employee assistance program; and a pre-tax transportation program. The salary range for this position is from $120,000 - $130,000, with consideration for prior experience.

Ballard Spahr is committed to increasing diversity in the legal profession and to supporting the communities where we live and work. People from all backgrounds are valued and integrated into every part of the firm. Diverse candidates including women, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and individuals with a disability are encouraged to apply.

The firm is not accepting resumes from search firms for this position.

Ballard Spahr is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a culturally diverse environment. The firm encourages applications from a diverse pool of candidates, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, handicap or disability, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender status, sex stereotyping, genetic information, ancestry, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.