Legal Assistant Trainer

Description

Warner Norcross + Judd is seeking a Legal Assistant Trainer to join our team in our Grand Rapids office. This role supports the firm's legal operations by training, mentoring, and guiding legal assistants, practice group support specialist, and other legal support staff. The position blends hands-on legal assistant work with training and development responsibilities to ensure consistent, high-quality administrative and client support across the firm.

About the Opportunity Responsibilities:

- Collaborate with the Talent Development Department to design and deliver individualized, hands-on training for new legal support staff

- Identify firmwide and practice group-specific training needs through mentoring, coaching, and skills development

- Create and maintain legal support reference materials, checklists, templates, and tools to promote consistency and best practices

- Assist with onboarding and file transition support for lateral attorneys

- Provide temporary backup coverage for legal assistants during extended leaves

- Identify and recommend improvements to workflows, efficiency, and communication within legal support teams

- Partner with timekeepers, practice groups, and the Training Manager to develop tailored training for specialized roles or tools

- Travel to firm offices across Michigan to provide onsite training and operational support

- Maintain ongoing communication with office administrators and team leads to coordinate training schedules and support needs

The Legal Support Development Coordinator role embodies Warner’s foundational values by demonstrating teamwork through close collaboration with legal assistants, practice group support specialists, timekeepers, office administrators, and the Talent Development team to promote consistent, high-quality support across the firm; service by providing thoughtful training, mentoring, and hands-on support that strengthens legal support professionals’ confidence, effectiveness, and client service delivery; adaptability by balancing training responsibilities with operational support and responding flexibly to evolving practice group needs; respect by fostering an inclusive, professional, and supportive learning environment built on trust, discretion, and mutual regard; and excellence by proactively identifying development opportunities, improving workflows, and maintaining high standards that enhance firmwide efficiency and client experience.

Competencies

- Experience performing full legal assistant duties across litigation and transaction practices

- Strong document formatting, proofreading, and client communication skills

- Ability to coach and motivate legal support staff in a professional services environment

- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills

- High degree of discretion, integrity, and sound judgment

- Organized, detail-oriented, and service-minded

Essential Physical Demands

Meets physical requirements necessary to perform essential job duties, including being mobile and stationary throughout the workday, transporting up to 25 pounds, and operating a computer and standard office equipment.

About You Experience, Education and Training:

- Undergraduate degree preferred - 5+ years of experience as a legal assistant in a law firm environment

- Prior experience mentoring or training others preferred

- Strong knowledge of legal administrative workflows and document management

- Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Zoom preferred

About Warner

Warner is a full-service corporate law firm with 230+ attorneys practicing in nine offices throughout Michigan: Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Holland, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Macomb, Midland and Muskegon. To learn more, visit www.wnj.com, follow us on X @WNJLLP or connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.

About Our Benefits

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans

- Firm-provided life insurance and disability coverage

- 401k with employer contribution or match depending on plan design

- Generous PTO and leave policies

- Firm holidays

- Remote work flexibility

- Wellness program

- Employee assistance program

- Professional development opportunities

About Our Culture

Warner’s cultural motto is “Fun, Pride + Profit...in that Order”. We build A Better Partnership through:

- Lockstep Compensation – Our compensation model encourages teamwork and distinguishes us from our competitors. Partner and associate salaries are set based upon seniority, not total hours worked, encouraging client legal projects to be routed to the most knowledgeable person in the Firm. Our team approach to compensation yields better legal representation for our clients and lays the foundation for a fun culture without internal financial competition. We have a team atmosphere where people like working together and supporting each other.

- Diversity – At Warner, we take an “all in” approach to DEI – engaging people at all levels of the Firm to lead and participate on DEI committees and initiatives. This ensures a broad base of support from team members truly invested in leading the charge. It’s because of their time and efforts we are as successful as we are – and that success radiates throughout the whole firm. Our DEI work has become not only the right thing to do, but more importantly, what our people want to do.

- Careers – Our culture of balanced personal and professional lifestyle allows us to maintain a 94% attorney retention rate. Attorneys throughout Michigan, the region and beyond are choosing Warner as their forever home – and because of our dedicated focus on living balanced lives, our attorneys’ families are fully supporting these important decisions.

- Community – Warner’s time-honored community engagement initiatives include financial contributions to 150+ nonprofits, scholarships and paid time off for all firm members to engage in community initiatives that are meaningful to them.

Closing Statement

Warner hires top talent at every point in our organization. We are seeking dedicated professionals with diverse backgrounds who strive to support the firm and its goals. Our collegial culture attracts people with diverse skills and backgrounds who are dedicated to teamwork and client service.