LIFE AFTER LAW is Canada’s trusted Legal Search Authority.
24+ years developing lasting relationships with lawyers, law firms, and companies
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 are 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.
Life After Law
1920 Yonge St. Suite 200
Toronto, ON M4S 3E2
T:416-789-1444
F:416-789-4114
rbean@lifeafterlaw.com
www.lifeafterlaw.com