Professional Development Coordinator – Litigation

Job Summary

The Professional Development Coordinator – Litigation will assist with the professional development of junior associates and specialty associates/counsel in the Litigation practice, including, but not limited to, staffing, talent engagement initiatives and mentoring. The Litigation practice includes 200+ U.S. attorneys across 6 U.S. offices. 

The Professional Development Coordinator - Litigation, will work within the Legal Talent Team, reporting to the Senior Manager Professional Development, Litigation and will support the Staffing Partners and Practice Leaders for the Litigation department and National Security Regulatory Practice (“NSRP”).  This is a hybrid role requiring at least 3 days in the office.  The role can be based in either the NY or DC office with occasional travel between the two required. 

Core Responsibilities

Staffing

• Work closely with Senior Manager and Litigation staffing partner to help maintain an equitable level of utilization across the department/teams.

• Update and maintain staffing database and charts to assist Senior Manager and staffing partners in making staffing recommendations; match staffing needs with the appropriate resources, based on availability, experience, and desired exposure to various matters/teams.
• Conduct follow-up as needed with respect to associate availability reports and self-reported interests and skills.
• Flag associates who consistently do not submit their availability reports to assist Litigation staffing partner and Senior Manager with targeted follow-up.
• Flag information or issues provided by associates through the “additional comments” section on availability reports.
• Audit practice area interests and expertise in certain litigation skills and jurisdictions to assist staffing partner and Senior Manager with staffing decisions.

Onboarding

• Participate in and assist in scheduling staffing/welcome meetings, lunches, etc.
• Update any applicable group lists.

Managing Absence Time

• Track absence time and maintain Litigation vacation calendar.
• Coordinate any necessary matter team coverages.
• Track vacation carryover.

Facilitating Associate Life/Engagement

• Develop professional rapport and relationships with associates through regular check-ins; gain understanding of their professional experiences and objectives; evaluate associate availability, and general wellness.
• Escalate issues to Legal Talent management.
• Mentoring/Advisor Program
  • Work closely with the Legal Talent team to pair associates/counsel with mentors and partner advisors.
  • Ensure associates are connecting with their respective mentors and advisors and engaged in dialogue about ongoing professional development goals.
• Provide an active feedback loop between associate, Legal Talent, and the partners in the group.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager - Professional Development, Litigation to plan and facilitate a variety of team-building events to foster connectivity.
• Routinely update Litigation Department webpage to reflect upcoming events and training programs. 

Litigation Department & Training Support·

• Update the LitEasy practice page, including Litigation Department events ticker, and ensure the Litigation training library is up to date and functioning properly.
• Update and distribute the monthly Litigation Department listing.      
• Order and distribute swag and planning events, including the annual litigation holiday party.
• Maintain a list of current litigation associates who are out on clerkships.
• Help with training logistics, especially with the recent Litigation Summer Academy. 
• Send reminders to partners about mentoring meetings and send match communications.
• Help with follow-up emails to encourage partners and associates to submit their mid-year or annual reviews.
• Schedule regular coffee hours/snack breaks on litigation-focused floors in New York.
• Book rooms/arrange for catering for regular group lunches. 

Legal Talent Support

• Performance Reviews for Litigation Associates/Counsel  
  • Ensure that each associate/counsel has thorough evaluations and developmental objectives.
  • Assist with verbal intake of feedback from partners.  
  • Update VI feedback tracking system.
• Coordinate regularly with other Litigation professional service team members (e.g., Manager, Legal Talent) to further practice group initiatives.
• Assist with tracking upcoming associate departures and ongoing associate clerkships
• Work on a variety of ad hoc projects as needed. 

Specialized Practice Support for NSRP

Staffing

• Develop and maintain staffing systems to assist NSRP staffing partner in making staffing recommendations; match staffing needs with the appropriate resources, based on availability, experience, and desired exposure to various matters/teams.
• Conduct follow-up as needed with respect to associate availability reports and self-reported interests and skills.
• Flag associates with availability, and information/issues raised through availability intake.  

Onboarding

• Participate in and assist in scheduling staffing/welcome meetings, lunches, etc. for new lateral hires.
• Update any applicable group lists for new hires.

Managing Absence Time

• Track absence time and maintain group vacation calendar.
• Coordinate any necessary matter team coverages.
• Track vacation carryover.

Facilitating Associate Life/Engagement

• Develop professional rapport and relationships with NSRP associates through regular check-ins; gain understanding of their professional experiences and objectives; evaluate associate availability, and general wellness.
• Escalate issues to Legal Talent management.
• Mentoring/Advisor Program
  • Work closely with Senior Manager, Professional Development - Litigation and the Legal Talent team to pair associates/counsel with mentors and partner advisors.
  • Ensure associates are connecting with their respective mentors and advisors and engaged in dialogue about ongoing professional development goals.
• Provide an active feedback loop between associate, Legal Talent, and the partners in the group.
• Plan and facilitate a variety of team-building events to foster connectivity for the NSRP group. 

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree, with 3-4 years of comparable experience, prior experience in a law firm preferred; Staffing experience preferred but not required.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact well and build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality; collaborative approach to working with others of all seniority levels.
• Strong interest and experience in professional development.·      
• Ability to self-direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs and implement solutions.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for both long and short-term projects and responsibilities.
• Must be team oriented, contributing as needed to unexpected projects or requests.
• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and comfortable working in web-based databases/software, e.g., viDesktop.
• Must be flexible to adjust hours to meet departmental needs.

Salary Information

NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $70,000 to $85,000 at the time of posting.

The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. This role is non-exempt meaning it is overtime pay eligible.

Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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