Managing Clerk

The Managing Clerk role is an exciting opportunity to lead and help design the Firm's new Managing Clerk's office function across all firm U.S. locations. The Managing Clerk will manage the existing Court & Calendar team, developing and mentoring docketing and clerk professionals and identifying areas for strategic growth. Responsible for overseeing court filings, advising on state procedural requirements, assisting with federal and local court system credentials, and overall ensuring Firm compliance with court rules and procedures. This position will play the most critical role in building and expanding the MCO function for a growing large law firm.

Ideal candidates will have previous experience as a Managing Clerk/Attorney or a Deputy Managing Clerk/Attorney overseeing multiple jurisdictions and significant experience working in a Managing Clerk's Office prior to that.

In this capacity, the Managing Clerk will:

• Design and lead Managing Clerk function across multiple offices;
• Work with heads of all practice groups to identify needs and build a solution to meet current and future needs;
• Work closely with the Firm’s Office of General Counsel to identify areas of risk;
• Design and deploy risk mitigation solutions;
• Team Leadership & Operations:
  • Lead and manage the existing docketing and clerk professionals;
  • Supervise staff and delegate responsibilities effectively;
  • Develop skills of existing docketing and clerk professionals;
  • Create a civil procedure training program for litigators in all US offices;
  • Train attorneys on new ECF rules and procedures;
  • Train team members and litigation-supporting paralegals on court filing procedures and systems;
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for multi-jurisdictional filings;
  • Align strategy with the current Senior Manager of Court & Calendar; and
  • Generate regular reports on filing activities and deadline compliance.
• Filings support and training:
  • Manage and oversee the execution of court filings across multiple federal and state jurisdictions through electronic filing systems and physical filing processes;
  • Coordinate with local counsel and filing services in various jurisdictions;
  • Create and deliver a program to effectuate the proper service of legal documents according to jurisdictional requirements; and
  • Maintain updated knowledge of court rules and procedural requirements across multiple federal and state jurisdictions.
• Calendar compliance and initiatives:
  • Lead the Court & Calendar team in the execution of a comprehensive calendar of court deadlines, statutes of limitations, and filing requirements; and
  • Lead the Court & Calendar team in programmatic initiatives, including the deployment of new technologies.
• Innovation & Collaboration:
  • Responsible for influencing and integrating new ways of working to improve service delivery;
  • Enthusiastic about driving process improvement, collaboration, and innovations as part of a cross-functional team; and
  • Identify the need for additional improvements (software, services, knowledge, or process) both for the Practice Innovation Department and practice groups.

Proficiencies:

• Significant experience performing court filings, providing procedural advice, and managing deadlines;
• Significant client (firm attorneys and their clients) service experience;
• Desire to continuously learn and educate others;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent project management, planning, and organizational skills;
• Continuous improvement and creativity mindset;
• Ability to work proactively and solve problems with minimal supervision; and
• Display proficiency in spearheading cross-functional long-term projects, devising innovative approaches, and executing on same.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or Paralegal certification required;
• JD preferred;
• A minimum of four (4) years’ experience as a Managing Clerk or Managing Attorney or eight (8) years’ experience as a Deputy Managing Clerk or Managing Attorney in a cross-jurisdictional law firm;
• A minimum fifteen (15) years of hands-on experience with court filings, state or federal court procedure;
• Supervisory experience in a law firm setting;
• Experience with major electronic filing systems (PACER, NYSCEF, etc.);
• Knowledge of docketing software (e.g., CompuLaw, LegalKEY);
• Ability to multi-task and maintain calm when working under pressure; and
• Flexibility to be available after hours to assist with filing issues, procedural questions, and deadlines.