About the job
LEGAL PROJECT MANAGER
Finance/Accounting Department
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently. We believe in hiring talented and dedicated individuals as members of our administrative community. We draw on the strength of our culture and structure to deliver the best of our firm to our lawyers and clients through true collaboration. The firm is seeking a full-time Legal Project Manager to work closely with our finance and pricing teams, clients, and attorneys in the efficient management of legal matters. The Legal Project Manager will be expected to interact professionally with partners, clients and procurement teams and administrative teams. This is an exempt position and reports to the Associate Director, Legal Project Management.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Identify & develop LPM best practices, templates, tools & checklists to improve client service.
- Review & test legal technology options, while ensuring data governance and security.
- Provide support to matter teams in responding to a client’s request for proposal (RFP) – including scoping and estimating a matter, drafting example LPM documents and creating a transparent communications and project plan catered to a client’s needs.
- Actively manage matters to project plans, including status reports, work-stream/deadline tracking and budget to actuals tracking.
- Project/recommend action for changes in scope, time and cost.
- Actively collect/store feedback from matter teams/clients with the goal of continuous improvement.
- Act as an on-demand consultant to matter & admin teams for best practice guidance, innovative improvement and efficiency recommendations.
- Utilize genAI to gain efficiencies in daily tasks.
- Maintain repository for client Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs), create OCG summaries and update database / billing system with OCG rules.
- Participate in the creation and presentation of LPM training materials for client teams.
- Ad hoc projects and other duties as assigned.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Legal project management experience preferred.
- Flexibility to work outside scheduled hours (9:30am-5:30pm EST) as required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBI.
- Proactive, self-learner who is motivated & results-oriented with a positive, team-player attitude.
- Comprehension of/experience with law firm financial metrics and alternative fee arrangements preferred.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle multiple tasks and heavy workloads efficiently.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely with senior management, clients, and partners.
- Ability to boldly ask why, and, with tact, influence and propose alternative solutions.
- Knowledge of Aderant, Elite Enterprise/3E.
- Intermediate/Advanced experience with SQL.
- Experience with LLMs, NLP, machine learning and AI generally.
TO APPLY:
- A resume and cover letter are required to apply for this position. Please tell us where you saw this position posted and send required materials to:
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other legally protected category in accordance with U.S. law.