Chief of Staff

Irvine, CA

Hybrid

Full-time

11-50

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🔴 Closes on:

Nov 15

JOB TITLE: Chief of Staff to the Managing Partner

STEP INTO STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP: REDEFINE YOUR LEGAL CAREER BEYOND BILLABLE HOURS!

Ready to move beyond the grind of hourly billing and into a career defined by leadership, influence, and innovation? As Chief of Staff to the Managing Partner, you'll drive performance, shape firm culture, and lead operations at a high level. This is your chance to accelerate your career trajectory, manage teams, implement legal tech, and make a lasting impact—without being chained to timesheets. If you're seeking real progression in the legal world, this is the role that puts you in the driver’s seat.

Who Are We?

We are a rapidly growing Southern California-based Trust and Estates Litigation Law Firm seeking a proactive, detail-oriented “Chief of Staff” to provide direct support to the Managing Partner of the legal team. This is not a traditional admin role. This position supports high-level legal and operational functions of the firm, ensuring performance, accountability, and compliance across the legal team. The ideal candidate will have significant legal administrative experience, deep familiarity with law firm operations, and an aptitude for leadership support, systems thinking, and emerging legal technologies.

Responsibilities

Executive Support to the Managing Partner

• Manage the Managing Partner’s calendar, communications, legal team meetings, and task prioritization.

• Facilitate meeting preparation and follow-up, including assembling necessary materials and agendas.

• Track performance and deliverables across departments and proactively flag delays or issues.

• Serve as gatekeeper and strategic partner, ensuring the Managing Partner’s involvement is timely and impactful.

Legal Operations & Performance Management

• Monitor attorney and paralegal billable hours, ensuring timely entry, accuracy, and progress toward KPIs.

• Track compliance with continuing legal education (CLE), bar membership, and ethical obligations.

• Ensure all internal deadlines (case milestones, filings, hearings) are met with adequate lead time and resources.

• Maintain and improve workflows to support client service, legal accuracy, ethical compliance, and firm profitability.

Systems & Technology Coordination

• Collaborate with the Managing Partner and legal tech vendors to evaluate and implement emerging technologies.

• Ensure effective use of CRM, CMS, DMS, time tracking, billing, calendaring, and task management tools.

• Assist with auditing processes and making system or procedural recommendations for greater efficiency.

Human Resources & Office Operations

• Support the hiring, onboarding, and coordination of training for legal staff and attorneys.

• Track performance reviews, productivity benchmarks, and employee development initiatives.

• Support firm culture through communication, team events, and morale-boosting strategies.

• Coordinate with vendors, IT, and facilities on hardware, software, supplies, and physical office needs.

Compliance & Documentation

• Maintain up-to-date firm documentation, SOPs, and operational policies.

• Work with Managing Partner and external consultants to ensure all policies meet regulatory and ethical standards.

• Perform periodic audits to ensure processes are being followed, and make recommendations for correction or improvement when issues are discovered.

• Ensure compliance with the firm’s 4 core values at all times:

• Stay Hungry.

• Consistently practice Radical Candor, Radical Respect.

• Stay focused and committed to collaborative results.

• No jerks allowed!

Qualifications

Required:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a law firm or legal department in an administrative, operations, or legal assistant role.

• Strong understanding of Trusts and Estates law (litigation experience a plus).

• Experience managing or tracking billable hours, calendaring court deadlines, and supporting legal compliance functions.

• Demonstrated success in supporting high-level executives or firm owners.

Preferred:

• Experience with case management systems (e.g., Clio, MyCase), CRM platforms, and legal billing software.

• Familiarity with California State Bar compliance, CLE tracking, and legal ethics.

• Experience with HR support, employee onboarding, and performance systems in a legal setting.

• Tech-savvy and able to research, test, and implement new legal technologies.

Key Traits

• Highly organized and self-directed.

• Confident communicator with excellent written and verbal skills.

• Analytical, solution-oriented, and systems-minded.

• Comfortable holding others accountable, including senior attorneys, in a professional and constructive manner.

• Discreet, trustworthy, and committed to confidentiality and ethical standards.

Reporting Relationship

This position reports directly to the Managing Partner and collaborates regularly with the firm’s leadership team.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• 100% accuracy and timeliness in calendar and deadline management.

• 100% compliance with billable hour targets and operational deadlines for attorneys and support staff.

• Quarterly review of systems and technologies with strategic improvements recommended.

• Successful coordination of onboarding, performance tracking, and compliance tasks across all departments.

Who This Job Is For

• Strategic Thinkers who thrive on solving operational challenges, streamlining systems, and driving results from behind the scenes.

• Experienced Legal Professionals with deep knowledge of law firm operations and a passion for building high-performing teams.

• Leaders in the Making who want to grow into a more influential role, managing people, processes, and performance—not just tasks.

• Tech-Savvy Organizers who enjoy optimizing tools, implementing legal tech, and aligning systems with firm goals.

• Proactive Partners who want to collaborate closely with executive leadership and have a seat at the decision-making table.

• Those Seeking Career Progression in leadership and management—not those content with remaining in a purely administrative or billable-hour role.

Who This Job Is Not For

• Anyone looking for a traditional executive assistant role focused only on scheduling and admin support.

• Those who prefer to clock in, clock out, and stay in their lane instead of taking initiative or ownership.

• Candidates who are uncomfortable holding senior attorneys accountable or navigating firm-wide performance conversations.

• Professionals who want to remain deeply tied to hourly billing rather than shift into a strategic leadership trajectory.

• Individuals who resist change, technology, or process improvement and prefer sticking with the status quo.

COMPENSATION

• Salary Range: $90,000-$125,000

• Location: Irvine, CA

• Position Type: Full-Time | Exempt

• Position Type: In Person

• 401(k)

• 401(k) matching

• Dental insurance

• Flexible spending account

• Health insurance

• Health savings account

• Life insurance