Legal Support Manager

• Salary: $105,000\-$130,000 (DOE)
• Portland, OR, Regular in\-office presence required
• Full\-time, Exempt; may require more than 40 hours per week
• Generous Paid Time Off policy
• Medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, EAP, and more
• Retirement contribution
• Commuter benefits

Tonkon Torp LLP is seeking a strategic and experienced Legal Support Manager to lead the firm’s 50\+ legal assistants and paralegals. Reporting to the COO, this role is responsible for staffing, ensuring efficient workflow, performance management, training, development, and the delivery of high\-quality attorney support.

This is a highly visible leadership role for a manager who understands legal support operations and can build accountability and consistency. The right candidate will bring sound judgment, strong people\-management skills, and the ability to partner effectively across departments and with all levels of firm management.

This is primarily an in\-office position with flexibility for hybrid work following the initial onboarding period.

Since 1974, Tonkon Torp has provided exceptional legal counsel and business\-minded solutions to clients in Portland, Oregon, and beyond. The firm’s legal support team plays a central role in helping attorneys deliver timely, high\-quality service.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Lead and manage the firmwide legal support functions, including legal assistants, paralegals, and team assistants.
• Supervise a legal support team of 50\+ staff, with responsibility for staffing, workflow, performance, development, and service delivery.
• Establish clear expectations for professionalism, accountability, communication, and service quality.
• Oversee daily workload distribution, staffing coverage, and operational support across practice groups and teams.
• Serve as the primary administrative contact for day\-to\-day legal support operations and escalated support issues.
• Conduct performance reviews and provide coaching, feedback, and development support to legal support staff.
• Address performance concerns in partnership with Human Resources and firm leadership.
• Support employee engagement, retention, career development, succession planning, and the development of future team leads.
• Evaluate staffing needs and recommend appropriate staffing levels based on workflow, business demands, and team capacity.
• Lead recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training for legal support staff.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflow, coverage, procedures, best practices, and service standards.
• Partner with attorneys and administrative departments on support needs, operational initiatives, and service improvements.
• Work with Human Resources to support compliance with firm policies, confidentiality standards, and applicable procedures.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 7\-10 years’ experience in a legal assistant or paralegal department. Five or more of those years in a direct supervisory capacity is preferred.
• Ability to manage a large team, set clear expectations, and support consistent accountability.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive employee, attorney, client, and operational matters.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with all levels of firm management and staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with legal support technology and document management systems.
• Strong organizational, strategic thinking, and project management skills.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, multitask, prioritize tasks, problem solve, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines in a fast\-paced environment with minimal supervision.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

The position involves sitting or standing at a desk for long periods, frequent computer use, clear communication with attorneys and staff, operation of standard office equipment, and work in a professional office environment with ability to work under tight deadlines and multitask.

Tonkon Torp will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, unless doing so creates undue hardship.

Tonkon Torp is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It welcomes all eligible applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Pursuant to Oregon law, Tonkon Torp does not request or require disclosure of the applicant’s age or date of birth or when the applicant attended or graduated from any educational institution prior to completing an initial interview, except when such information is required to affirm that the applicant meets bona fide occupational qualifications or to comply with any provision of federal, state or local law, rule or regulation.

We comply with Oregon and Portland fair chance hiring laws. In Portland, criminal history is considered only after a conditional offer of employment.

Job Type: Full\-time

Pay: $105,000\.00 \- $130,000\.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Ability to Commute:

• Portland, OR 97201 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Portland, OR 97201: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Portland, OR 97201