Temporary Policy & Government Practice Specialist

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.

We are seeking a Temporary Policy & Government Practice Specialist to join the Austin office. The candidate will be responsible for providing high-level administrative support to multiple lobbyists/lawyers and other timekeepers.  The responsibilities will differ depending on timekeepers’ practice areas and support needs.  This may include conducting quarterly and annual statistical analyses of the practice; participating in strategy meetings with clients; collecting data for Lobbying and Disclosure Act Reports for timekeepers and clients and filing same; maintaining standards of performance of other assistants, including compliance with firm policies and procedures and best practices and adherence to quality, service and timeliness standards. Candidates must be self-starters who possess the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Excellent communication skills and a commitment to providing the highest quality client service are strongly preferred.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Timekeepers, clients, other policy and government affairs team members, management, and local and firmwide shared services staff

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Conduct practice/client specific and business development research independently and/or at the direction of timekeepers
• Assist clients in the collection of data for LD2 and LD 203 (Lobbying Disclosure Act) Reports and filing same
• Collect data for Lobbying Disclosure Act Reports for timekeepers and filing same as appropriate
• Manage the Political Action Committee (PAC) accounts and analyze campaign data
• Monitor legislation, media and legislative publications for a variety of topics and issues of interest to clients
• Draft and edit memos and presentations for clients related to advocacy briefings, talking points, post-election analyses, updates on Congressional activities and other such matters
• Assist timekeepers in drafting legislative proposals and amendments
• Participate in strategy meetings with clients
• Assist with firm activities at political conventions
• Serve as primary contact to practice group leadership
• Distribute, monitor, assist with work assigned to the policy & gov’t affairs team members
• Ensure that the policy & gov’t affairs team members stay abreast of new and existing systems and procedures or changes to same
• Work with relevant parties to identify training needs of the policy & gov’t affairs team members and schedule training sessions to ensure adequate team support
• Communicate with relevant parties to determine staffing needs during team member absences (long- and short-term), assigning absentee coverage where appropriate
• Maintain client billing and utilization charts
• Assist other colleagues with overflow work and provide  backup support as needed
• Perform other related duties required based upon the unique practice of the timekeepers, such as, but not limited to, Department Head administrative work, practice development initiatives, and committee project work

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

EXPERIENCE SKILLS REQUIRED
• High School/Secondary School diploma (or equivalent), Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Advanced knowledge of Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and Adobe
• Extensive knowledge of the operations of Congress, various Federal agencies, and related protocol
• Extensive experience in a similar role in a law firm within a Policy or Government Affairs practice or a Congressional office desired; experience working in professional services or government agency working for multiple timekeepers
• Extensive knowledge of compliance and disclosure requirements related to the Lobbying and Disclosure Act
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills and demonstrated client service skills
• Interact effectively with people at all levels of the Firm and clientele
• Understand and articulate industry specific information (varies depending on timekeepers’ practice areas)
• Work autonomously with limited guidance; use own judgment in decision making to solve problems and achieve business outcomes;  take the initiative in handling projects and anticipate what needs to be done
• Organize and prioritize own workload and that of the policy & gov’t affairs assistants and senior policy & gov’t affairs assistants
• Multi-task, organize and prioritize projects/assignments under tight deadlines or high pressure

ADDITIONAL ABILITIES REQUIRED
• Responsibilities may occasionally require an adjusted work schedule, overtime, and evening/weekend hours in order to meet deadlines
• May be required to run errands on Capital Hill
• This job operates in an office setting and is largely sedentary, requiring the routine use of a computer and other standard office equipment.  The ability to open file cabinets, lift files, bend, and stand on a stool may also be required.

Hourly Rate $55-$60 / hour

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.

For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.

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

BENEFITS

We offer a dynamic work environment and excellent benefits.

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 shall not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable 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 unlawful harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is sexual, racial, age-related, disability-related or ethnic background-related.