Closing Legal Assistant Lead

About the role

The Closing Team Lead is a hands-on leadership role responsible for the daily support, training, quality review, and workflow guidance of the Closing team. This role serves as the first point of contact for task questions, workflow concerns, and system issues; coaches team members through weekly one-on-ones; and partners closely with the Closing Manager to maintain accountability, consistency, and timely execution across closing operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain daily team presence by checking in with the full team at least once each day and confirming priority needs before moving to individual work or projects.
• Serve as the first point of contact for task questions, CMS issues, workload concerns, and paralegal-related issues; escalate matters to the Manager when needed.
• Update the out-of-office calendar for call-outs, notify paralegals, and coordinate communication with the Manager or other leads.
• Review and approve virtual assistant Timeproof records and team timecards; provide backup support for the Manager's timecard process.
• Create and maintain Outlook training schedules, secure Manager approval, notify participants, confirm trainers at least one week in advance, and lead training activities.
• Deliver the in-person Train Rides presentation for new hires and participate in candidate interviews as requested.
• Review initial DSBs for new closers and provide timely, specific feedback.
• Review all reduction letters for new closers and provide feedback, coordinating backup support when needed.
• Pull the Closing SRL report each Monday, identify potential case closures, and complete the assigned portion of month-end review in partnership with the Manager.
• Draft and update Closing procedures for management review and approval.
• Provide input for bimonthly team meetings based on trends and opportunities identified during weekly one-on-ones; serve as backup to the Manager when requested.
• Communicate completion of requests, escalate early when additional support is needed, and promptly relay significant team, workload, pay or paralegal concerns to management.

Leadership Expectations

• Model initiative, ownership, sound judgment, and alignment with management direction.
• Have a team-first mindset, consistent follow-through, and respectful communication.
• Prioritize team needs and operational responsibilities before personal closing tasks.
• Partner closely with the Closing Manager and confirm at the end of each day whether additional support is needed before leaving.
• Support management decisions publicly and raise concerns privately and respectfully.
• Respond promptly to team and management requests and communicate when work is complete.
• Build rapport with each team member while maintaining appropriate leadership boundaries and confidentiality.
• Provide DSB and letter review feedback within 48 hours. If the deadline cannot be met, notify the Manager in advance and request support.
• Prepare trainee work the day before or the morning of training to support productivity and a consistent learning experience.
• Become a subject matter expert in Closing tasks and proactively request additional training whenever a process is unclear.
• Obtain management review and approval before introducing new training materials or process changes.
• Practice 'vent up' communication by directing leadership or administrative concerns to management rather than sharing them with direct reports or other team members.
• Validate information, consider alternatives, and seek appropriate input before finalizing key decisions.

Core Qualifications

• Strong working knowledge of legal closing workflows, case management systems, task management, and quality review practices.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, train, and support team members with patience, consistency, and accountability.
• Ability to review DSBs, reduction letters, reports, and time records accurately and provide clear, actionable feedback.
• Strong organization and follow-through, including the ability to manage schedules, deadlines, escalations, and competing priorities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills with sound judgment regarding confidentiality and escalation.
• Comfort using Outlook, ADP, Timeproof, DOMO, Lawboards, and a legal case management system, or the ability to learn comparable systems quickly.
• A team-first leadership approach with a willingness to remain hands-on and support changing operational needs.
• Personal injury, legal operations, closing, or comparable high-volume case experience strongly preferred.
• Prior lead, training, quality assurance, or people-support experience preferred.