Job Description

The Professional Development Coordinator leads attorney onboarding and supports the operations of the Professional Development (PD) team. This role will report to the Director of Professional Development and work closely with the broader professional development and talent teams and administrative departments across the firm.

Responsibilities

Attorney Onboarding

• Lead all-hands meeting with various departments prior to new hire orientation.
• Design, plan, and execute customized orientation agendas tailored to specific roles, practice groups, and office locations.
• Collaborate with administrative departments (e.g., Accounting, Business Development, Events, IT, Marketing, etc.) to deliver a seamless onboarding experience and to ensure new hires have access to necessary systems and tools on day one.
• Coordinate logistics for orientation sessions, including scheduling presenters, securing meeting space, and preparing materials.
• Maintain and update onboarding resources (guides, checklists, intranet pages, ViIntegrate) to reflect current processes and best practices.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for new hires and internal stakeholders, managing orientation communications before, during, and after arrival to ensure consistent and timely messaging.
• Assist Professional Development Managers to provide ongoing support to new hires during their first year, including check-ins and integration activities.
• Stay informed of industry best practices and trends in onboarding and professional development to continuously improve systems and processes.

Professional Development Operations

• Support administrative operations for the Professional Development team, ensuring efficient processes and high-quality support.
• Update key systems such as PLI, CLE compliance tracking, and ViIntegrate with new hire information.
• Track lawyer CLE compliance and admissions status and monitor individual and firmwide usage of PLI.
• Support firmwide professional development programming by:
• Coordinating the creation and publication of the quarterly Professional Development newsletter ("Engage").
• Assisting with PD-related marketing, branding, and communications, including promotional materials and announcements.
• Attending substantive legal trainings to facilitate program logistics and offer on-site assistance.
• Maintain Professional Development team operational support such as:
• Liaising with departments including Marketing, IT, and Events to support joint initiatives.
• Reserving conference rooms and coordinating meeting logistics.
• Monitoring the Professional Development inbox and responding to PD-specific email communications.
• Assist with the execution of Professional Development programming during the summer associate program, including preparing materials for PD-led sessions, coordinating session logistics, and conducting midsummer check-ins with summer associates.
• Support alumni relations efforts, including maintaining the alumni job bank and assisting with alumni engagement activities.

Skills and Requirements

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively in an agile, fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and professional presence, with the ability to work collegially with attorneys and professional staff, and the professional presence and demeanor to represent the firm.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, with high attention to detail.
• Strong client-service orientation, diplomacy, and the ability to build productive relationships across seniority levels—from senior partners to new associates.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present ideas.
• Understanding of onboarding and integration processes that create a seamless experience and support long-term engagement and retention across practice groups and career stages.
• High level of discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential information.
• Continuous improvement mindset, including the ability to benchmark against peer firms and identify opportunities to enhance systems and processes.
• Creative problem-solver with a forward-thinking approach.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university is required.
• Three or more years of professional development or related experience (such as HR, customer or legal operations) within a law firm or professional services environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint), awareness of software programs such as Canva, Smartsheet, and vi by Aderant; comfortable with collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom; quick to learn new systems and familiarity with platforms supporting legal operations and professional development preferred.

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