Legal Project Manager

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us.  Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

The Legal Project Manager will be responsible for working closely with legal teams to manage a suite of high priority and complex matters at the firm.  The role may also be called upon to consult on an on-demand basis at various stages of the life cycle of a matter (i.e. matter initiation, delivery, or evaluation).  This role is part of the Matter Planning team and will work closely with analysts and others on budgeting and pricing as well as other initiatives related to process improvement and knowledge management.  In addition, the person in this role will help with the development and implementation of Firmwide training on legal project management.  This role is part of a highly cross-functional team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Utilize proven project management techniques to support the efficient management of matters through all stages including scoping, framing, budgeting, planning, managing, monitoring, and evaluation
• Provide on-demand support on matters that may need specific, limited, assistance during a particular phase in their lifecycle
• Become an embedded and trusted member of the legal team, understanding their needs and pain points and focusing on a solution oriented approach
• Work with the Matter Planning Analysts to budget matters by reviewing historical data and other key data points
• Work with practice leadership and human resources on issues of resource allocation and development
• Work closely with the Matter Planning team on developing and deploying firmwide training on Legal Project Management
• Support training and implementation of technology related to project management
• Liaise with client’s internal legal operations teams as needed
• Willingness to challenge “the way things have always been done” and support related change management initiatives


EXPERIENCE SKILLS REQUIRED
• 5 or more years within law, consulting, or project management
• Master’s degree or J.D. preferred
• Experience working in a legal services environment strongly preferred; ability to translate project management methodology to a legal setting required
• Formal project management certification preferred
• Comfort using Excel, SharePoint, and similar technology
• Experience in training, influencing, and change management a plus

ADDITIONAL ABILITIES REQUIRED
• Assist with identifying opportunities for process improvement initiatives and knowledge management projects and, where appropriate, help develop and evangelize best practices
• Work closely with other administrative departments at the firm including practice support, IT, finance, professional development and marketing
• Confidence communicating with all levels of the legal team and client; including delivering difficult messages and challenging current assumptions
• Ability to deliver creative answers with pragmatic solutions
• Demonstrated interest and passion in ways to make legal practice more efficient and innovative
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong awareness of what type of communication is appropriate for what audience
• Comfortable operating in both structured and unstructured environments
• Understand and articulate the business case behind decisions in matter management
• Ability to encourage and build positive relationships and communicate (both verbal and written) effectively with all co-workers and outside vendors

Compensation Salary $124,000 - $192,000

The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.

ABOUT THE FIRM

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world.  We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world. 

The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

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Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

BENEFITS

K&L Gates offers our personnel a comprehensive suite of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time personnel include:

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other category protected by law (including the categories listed above). The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR@klgates.com.