Client Operations & Legal Project Manager

Company: Ropes & Gray LLP
Location: Chicago
Posted on: June 2, 2025

Job Description:

About Ropes & GrayRopes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's U.K. A-List twice in the past three years-rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms.The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.OverviewThe legal market is undergoing a period of hyper-change, driving opportunities for innovative thinking and hybrid careers. The Client Operations Services & Legal Project Management team thrives on these changes, residing at the intersection of process improvement, technology, data storytelling, client service and legal practice. Our mission is to strengthen Ropes & Gray's client relationships and optimize the delivery of legal services by developing innovative tools and processes that drive efficiency and meet our clients' evolving priorities.The role of the manager is to provide lawyers, clients and support staff guidance on matter management best practices and tools, ensuring that client relationships are supported and matters are executed efficiently. This involves encouraging the use of matter work plans, scoping and building budgets, analyzing data and progress reporting, and building on the team's practice knowledge. The manager collaborates with lawyers and acts as a resource for clients, especially those with legal operations functions.A key aspect of the manager's role is to use their experience to influence outcomes and engage in process improvement and change management.Responsibilities

• Through close collaboration with R&G lawyers and support staff, develops a strong understanding of one or more of the firm's practices, including its strategic priorities, areas of legal focus, major clients and challenges; aligns support and service delivery with practice priorities.
• Leads client relationship and practice group support with the help of the team's senior analysts and analysts, and by leveraging the technical expertise of the team's Infrastructure team.
• Collaborates with the partners who lead client relationships and with clients' legal department staff; designs and implements processes and tools that address clients' priorities and enhance the client relationship.
• Develops, maintains and enhances a portfolio of practice-specific resources that help lawyers identify and communicate to clients the cost and scope of legal work, spot risks for cost overruns, monitor run rate and leverage the firm's technology and knowledge resources to optimize legal service delivery.
• Applies and advocates for legal project management best practices including scoping, budgeting, progress reporting, team and client communication and efficiency (including the application of technology and alternative staffing).
• Establishes and partners with a network of peers in Finance, Business Development, Practice Development, Knowledge Management and other staff support teams to design and deliver innovative solutions to lawyers and clients and facilitate process improvement.
• Uses team technology platforms and applies effective data storytelling techniques to help attorneys optimize matter management and answer clients' questions; analyzes financial metrics and data, and uses it to raise issues and make recommendations to lawyers.Qualifications
  • Able to maintain strict confidentiality of the firm's internal and personnel affairs and client information. Understands ethics of position including rules of legal ethics in regards to confidentiality, billing and client representation and advocacy.
  • Able to build relationships, influence and foster a collaborative approach with internal clients across practice groups and with all departments and levels of the organization.
  • Can effectively convey solutions to stakeholders, explaining results within a legal project management framework and achieving buy-in from legal teams.
  • Able to effectively work in a multi-office environment and a culturally and educationally diverse environment.
  • Must be flexible to meet the demands of working at a global law firm and available for travel.
  • Bachelor's degree required; J.D. or MBA preferred.
  • At least 7 years of experience working in a law firm, corporate legal department, financial institution or other large complex organization is required; professional services experience is preferred.
  • Exceptional client service orientation with financial acumen.
  • Demonstrated experience in leading teams and creative problem-solving.Compensation and Total Rewards PackageRopes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.Boston: $123,200 - $187,950Chicago: $123,200 - $187,950New York: $129,100 - 196,900Working ConditionsThis position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.
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Keywords: Ropes & Gray LLP, Naperville , Client Operations & Legal Project Manager, Executive , Chicago, Illinois