Pre Judgment Manager
Collections Law Firm | Southfield, Michigan
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced, motivated, and highly organized Pre Judgment Manager to join our growing law firm in Southfield, Michigan.
This is an excellent opportunity for a Senior Legal Assistant, experienced Supervisor, or legal collections professional with supervisory, team lead, training, or mentoring experience who is ready to take the next step into a formal leadership and management role. Candidates with strong collections law experience who have demonstrated the ability to train employees, oversee workflows, manage case inventories, resolve escalated issues, and serve as a resource to other team members are strongly encouraged to apply.
This position is responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the firm's Pre Judgment Department while also providing management oversight and operational leadership. The role is responsible for ensuring cases progress accurately and efficiently from initial suit preparation and filing through service, litigation, and judgment.
The Pre Judgment Manager will work closely with departmental supervisors, Legal Assistants, attorneys, management, Human Resources, and other departments to ensure appropriate staffing, productivity, quality, compliance, and adherence to client and court deadlines.
The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of creditor rights, collections litigation, Michigan court procedures, and legal workflow management. We are looking for a hands-on leader who leads by example, communicates effectively, remains composed in a fast-paced environment, develops employees and emerging leaders, and takes ownership of departmental performance and operational results.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Supervise, coach, train, and support Legal Assistants within the Pre Judgment Department, specifically the Pre Suit Team.
- Provide day-to-day leadership and serve as a resource for employees regarding workflow, court procedures, client requirements, and escalated case issues.
- Oversee the progression of new lawsuits from placement and suit preparation through filing and transition into the pre-judgment litigation process.
- Ensure accurate entry and maintenance of client, debtor, account, and litigation information within the firm's case management system.
- Oversee the preparation and processing of legal documents, including summonses, complaints, affidavits, exhibits, and other litigation documents.
- Review employee work product for accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and compliance with firm, court, and client requirements.
- Monitor Pre-Suit inventory and ensure cases are progressing within established client and departmental timelines.
- Identify workflow concerns, backlogs, aging inventory, or performance issues and take appropriate steps to resolve them.
- Delegate and balance workloads to maintain appropriate staffing, productivity, and departmental efficiency.
- Assist employees with escalated legal, procedural, client, and case-related issues.
- Provide management oversight and operational direction for the firm's Pre-Judgment Department.
- Work closely with the Pre-Judgment Supervisor to establish departmental priorities, monitor employee performance, manage workloads, and ensure operational goals are achieved.
- Provide coaching, guidance, and support to the Pre-Judgment Supervisor and assist in developing supervisory and leadership capabilities.
- Maintain oversight of the progression of cases from filing through service, litigation, default, judgment, dismissal, or other appropriate disposition.
- Monitor Pre-Judgment case inventory, aging, service status, court dates, deadlines, and other critical litigation milestones.
- Ensure lawsuits are timely advanced through the litigation process and identify cases that have stalled or require additional action.
- Monitor service of process activity and ensure appropriate follow-up is completed on unsuccessful, delayed, or problematic service attempts.
- Oversee workflows associated with answers, motions, defaults, dismissals, judgment preparation, and other Pre-Judgment litigation activity.
- Review departmental reports and exception reports to identify cases requiring immediate attention or corrective action.
- Ensure appropriate escalation of contested matters, unusual litigation issues, client concerns, and other matters requiring attorney review.
- Assist the Pre-Judgment Supervisor with complex procedural questions, employee issues, workload challenges, and escalated case matters.
- Evaluate Pre-Judgment workflows and recommend changes to improve efficiency, accuracy, productivity, and case progression.
- Ensure consistency between Pre-Suit and Pre-Judgment procedures so cases transition efficiently between departments.
- Coordinate with attorneys regarding litigation strategy, contested matters, court requirements, procedural changes, and department needs.
- Ensure appropriate communication and coordination between Pre-Suit, Pre-Judgment, Post-Judgment, Projects, Accounting, Collections, and other operational areas.
Department Management & Performance
- Run, review, and analyze departmental productivity, inventory, workflow, aging, exception, and status reports.
- Establish and monitor individual, supervisory, and departmental performance expectations and goals.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators for Pre-Suit and Pre-Judgment operations.
- Regularly review departmental inventories to identify trends, bottlenecks, aging cases, staffing concerns, and opportunities for improvement.
- Monitor departmental performance against client requirements, internal standards, and established deadlines.
- Hold supervisors and employees accountable for productivity, quality, accuracy, attendance, and completion of assigned responsibilities.
- Identify performance concerns and implement appropriate coaching, retraining, performance improvement, or corrective action in coordination with Human Resources.
- Evaluate staffing and workload requirements and make recommendations regarding hiring, staffing assignments, cross-training, and redistribution of work.
- Assist management with departmental planning, operational strategy, and implementation of firm initiatives.
- Provide management with updates regarding departmental performance, staffing concerns, operational challenges, and significant case or client issues.
Employee Leadership & Development
- Establish clear expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and professional development to team members and departmental supervisors.
- Assist with training new employees and ensure employees receive appropriate ongoing training as procedures, client requirements, laws, and systems evolve.
- Develop employees for increased responsibility and identify potential future team leads, supervisors, and other leadership candidates.
- Maintain and update departmental training manuals, standard operating procedures, workflows, checklists, and other departmental documentation.
- Ensure departmental procedures are standardized, documented, and consistently followed.
- Communicate procedural, client, court, system, and policy changes to supervisors, employees, and training personnel.
- Conduct or participate in departmental meetings, training sessions, performance discussions, and operational reviews.
- Promote accountability, professionalism, teamwork, communication, and a positive work environment.
Administrative Responsibilities
- Monitor employee attendance, schedules, timekeeping, PTO, and departmental coverage to ensure operational needs are met.
- Partner with Human Resources regarding recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, employee coaching, performance management, disciplinary documentation, and other employee-related matters.
- Participate in interviewing and selection of Legal Assistants, Senior Legal Assistants, and other departmental employees.
- Assist with new-hire onboarding, training plans, performance expectations, and introductory-period evaluations.
- Document employee performance concerns and work with Human Resources to ensure issues are addressed consistently and appropriately.
- Assist with annual or periodic employee performance evaluations and compensation recommendations as requested.
- Maintain confidentiality and exercise appropriate discretion when handling employee, client, and case-related matters.
Compliance & Operational Improvement
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, as well as firm policies, procedures, court rules, and client requirements.
- Monitor departmental compliance with client service-level requirements and established litigation timelines.
- Collaborate with attorneys, management, and project teams regarding workflow improvements, procedural changes, system enhancements, automation, and operational initiatives.
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce manual work, improve case progression, and increase departmental productivity.
- Participate in testing and implementation of new technology, case management enhancements, reports, workflows, and operational processes.
- Assist with internal audits, client audits, compliance reviews, and corrective action plans as necessary.
- Perform additional duties, management responsibilities, and special projects as assigned.
Qualifications & Requirements
- 7+ years of experience within a collections law firm, creditor rights firm, or legal collections environment strongly preferred.
- Previous supervisory or management experience preferred; however, experienced Senior Legal Assistants, Team Leads, or Supervisors with demonstrated leadership, training, mentoring, workflow oversight, or team lead responsibilities who are ready to advance into formal leadership are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Strong knowledge of Michigan court procedures, creditor rights, collections litigation, and the Pre-Suit/Pre-Judgment litigation process.
- Experience managing or monitoring litigation inventories, deadlines, service of process, case progression, and court-related workflows strongly preferred.
- Bachelor's degree and/or Paralegal Certificate highly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to train, coach, motivate, develop, and hold employees accountable.
- Ability to effectively lead employees while also providing direction and support to other supervisors or senior team members.
- Strong organizational, analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to review and analyze productivity, inventory, aging, and operational reports and take appropriate action based on results.
- Ability to prioritize competing responsibilities and meet strict court, client, and internal deadlines.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to professionally handle escalated issues, employee concerns, client matters, and difficult situations.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, and Excel, as well as Adobe Acrobat.
- Experience working with legal case management software; CLS experience preferred.
- Ability to learn and adapt to new technology, systems, automation, and evolving operational processes.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with attorneys, management, Human Resources, supervisors, and staff.
- High level of professionalism, discretion, dependability, and integrity.
- Reliable attendance and a strong work ethic.
Benefits & Perks
- Monday through Friday schedule
- Employer-sponsored health and vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
- Business casual office environment
- Supportive and team-oriented culture
- Hands-on leadership and management experience
- Opportunity for professional growth and advancement within the firm
Pay: From $65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- AD&D insurance
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Must pass background and credit check
Ability to Commute:
- Southfield, MI (Required)
Work Location: In person
