Legal Project Manager
Overview
Our client, a leading litigation firm, is seeking a Legal Project Manager (LPM) to join their expanding Legal Project Management team.Reporting to the Director, Legal Talent, this client-facing and highly visible role will be crucial in the expansion and implementation of legal project management methodologies to meet the fast-growing needs of the firm. You will manage fast-paced, complex, and interesting projects primarily with legal teams. You will also be a critical player in the LPM Team’s mandate to institute greater cross-functional collaboration across the firm to improve efficiency in matter management, developing and testing innovative practice management strategy, and elevating the client service experience.
The Role will Include:
- Managing multiple complex legal matters including:
- Applying technical expertise in robust scoping and planning of legal matters for senior lawyers and clients
- Driving the implementation of project management best practices and principles on client projects
- Customizing workplans and tools to capture priority workflows and deliverables to meet critical deadlines
- Understanding the litigation process to engage in proactive discussions around structuring workflows
- Defining clear roles with respect to workflow management and tasks to hold owners accountable
- Setting service delivery standards to instruct and manage team effectively to prioritize client experience
- Developing and monitoring resourcing, communication, and control models to fit specific needs of client files
- Continuously building and strengthening relationships to act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders
- Creating processes for communications, information sharing, and reporting within team and to clients
- Facilitating internal and external client meetings, as well as preparing materials and meeting notes
- Utilizing problem-solving and critical thinking to recommend, implement, and manage necessary change
- Identifying risks and issues to delivery and raising them with urgency to stakeholders
- Preparing and delivering status and file health reports to clients to provide updates on file progress.
- Managing internal projects, and assisting with LPM program management including:
- Supporting LPM Team with introducing and scaling LPM methodology across the firm.
- Initiating and facilitating after-action reviews for use in improvement of LPMJ practices
- Educating legal and business teams on the use of LPM tools and methodology
- Co-developing materials and providing LPM training as needed to grow the LPM presence
- Sharing ideas and collaborating with teams across the firm to encourage mutual success, including contributing to presentations and materials which demonstrate significant value add of LPM
- Budgeting, fee estimation, and financial monitoring
- Scoping and creating budgets or Alternative Fee Arrangements in collaboration with senior lawyers.
- Collaborating with the Finance team to ensure matter scope, phases, tasks, and fees are viable to the firm
- Monitoring and tracking legal spend for clients and firm leadership to maximize revenue
You are the ideal candidate if you have/are:
- JD/LL.B., or LL.M, or PMP, or Business degree in combination with strong related work experience
- LPM or other project management-related certifications are an asset.
- 4+ years’ experience practicing as a lawyer or LPM at a large- or mid-sized law firm, professional services firm, or in-house at a major corporation or 5+ years’ experience as a project manager at a law firm, professional services firm, or major corporation
- Litigation experience is a significant asset
- Solid understanding of litigation service delivery processes
- Proven ability to structure projects of varying size, scale, impact, and risk profile
- History of exceptional client service in management of revenue-generating projects
- Budgeting/fee estimate experience is an asset
- Experience with developing and implementing training programs and plans
- Influential and a strong written and oral communicator with the ability to effectively share ideas or instructions clearly with various stakeholders
- Strong leadership skills to be an advocate, drive business results, and collaborate with multiple stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to work in a cross functional team environment
- Highly organized and detail oriented
- Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, with tight deadlines.
- A positive attitude and are adaptable and flexible
- Proactive and driven to learn and grow in the role
- Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships and be an effective listener and influencer
- Take initiative in seeking out opportunities to improve practice efficiency and support projects
If this describes you, and you are interested in joining a forward-thinking firm committed to continuous process improvement and innovation, send us your details.
We thank all applicants. Only those with the required experience will be contacted.
City
Toronto- Hybrid
Category
NON-TRADITIONAL / EXECUTIVE / QUASI-LEGAL
Practice Areas
Litigation
Work Type
Permanent / Full Time