Director of Attorney Professional Development

With eleven offices across the United States, 450+ professionals and 350+ staff professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP (www.manatt.com), is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the firm to provide a unique and compelling value proposition.

Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated and strategic Director of Attorney Professional Development to manage firmwide attorney professional development initiatives, with the focus on learning, training and development.  We are looking for a seasoned leader in this area with a proven track record of success, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, and a demonstrated passion for fostering/delivering a culture of continuous learning and development.  This position will report to the Senior Director of Professional Development.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement all attorney professional development initiatives, including the designing, implementing, and delivering of training programs, mentorship and/or coaching opportunities, orientation and onboarding initiatives, individualized learning plans, and leadership development pathways tailored to the needs of attorneys at all levels (including but not limited to specialized programs for the summer associate program, new associate classes, as well as attorneys at all levels within the firm), fostering professional growth, career development, engagement, inclusivity, retention and a culture of continuous learning and professional development within the Firm.
• Oversee the management of all Firm CLE compliance, tracking and reporting firmwide as well as ensuring continuous CLE opportunities.
• Design and deliver training programs on substantive legal topics, professional skills, technology, and client service.
• Partner with and form strong trusted advisor relationships with firm management, practice group leaders and other attorneys to identify training and program needs, determine and implement appropriate means to deliver and assess the success of related programs, and ensure programs are aligned with firm strategy and goals.
• Source, maintain and nurture existing and potential relationships with external consultants, coaches and speakers, as well as maintain active involvement with appropriate professional organizations.
• Maintain networks and in-depth knowledge of trends and developments in the attorney development field.
• Develop metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of attorney training programs and use data-driven insights to improve learning outcomes.
• Continuously research and integrate innovative training opportunities and industry best practices in legal professional development; regularly evaluate and refine programs to ensure they meet the evolving needs of the Firm.
• Provide leadership, mentoring and operational oversight for the attorney professional development team.
• Develop the attorney professional development budget, including forecasting, resource allocation, and cost management to ensure alignment with the firm’s strategic goals.
• Collaborate with the application training & E-learning professional development team and leverage the learning management system and other advanced technologies to deliver and track attorney training programs, ensuring alignment with professional development goals, CLE compliance, and reporting requirements. 
• Collaborate with the performance management professional development team to ensure the firm’s learning and development efforts align to core competencies and promote professional growth.
• Collaborate with the consulting professional development team to align learning and development goals for the Firm.
• Partner and collaborate with other firm departments, including but not limited to Business Development, Marketing, Communications, Strategic Growth, Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Information Technology, and Accounting to align Attorney Professional Development initiatives with broader talent management strategies, including inclusivity, employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction and support or design, as appropriate, training initiatives in these departments as well.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required, JD highly preferred.
• 10 + years of experience in professional development required or 7+ years of experience in professional development with prior experience as a practicing attorney. Law firm experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and success in designing, facilitating, and delivering training programs to sophisticated, highly educated preferably attorney audiences.
• Certification in instructional design, professional development programs, coaching, and assessment certifications preferred.
• Expertise in leveraging learning technologies, including Learning Management Systems (LMS), eLearning platforms, and virtual training tools, to enhance engagement and outcomes in professional development programs.
• Deep understanding of industry best practices in attorney professional development and training.
• Proven success in aligning professional development initiatives with firmwide strategic objectives and long-term goals.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high quality work while maintaining a client service focus.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to gather information from a broad range of sources and influence others to make changes.
• Ability to function in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment, prioritize multiple projects on a daily basis, adjust to shifting priorities, all with a “can-do” “roll up the sleeves” attitude.
• Strong planning, project management, analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently (self-motivated with proven ability to anticipate problems and move things forward with limited direction and varying deadlines) and as part of a team with a proactive and positive style that fosters collaborative working relationships.
• Deep personal commitment to integrity, excellent judgment, and the highest standards of ethics.
• Ability to work discreetly with confidential information and situations.
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.  Ability to quickly get up to speed and master new applications and software is critical. Familiarity with HRIS systems (including Workday and Vi) and advanced reporting tools is a plus.
• Ability to travel as needed.

The base annual pay range for this role is between $175,000-$250,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience, location and will also take into account internal equity. A full range of medical, financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position will also be offered.

EEO/AA EMPLOYER/Veterans/Disabled

Manatt is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, status as a transgender or transsexual individual, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age (over 40), genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, sexual orientation, political activity or affiliation, genetic or and any other protected classes or characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.

This employer will provide the Social Security Administration  (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security  (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

IMPORTANT: If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking  adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. 

Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or  to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the  choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. In order to determine whether Form I-9 documentation is valid,  this employer uses E-Verify’s photo screening tool to match the photograph appearing on some permanent resident and employment authorization cards with the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) photograph. If you believe that your employer has violated its responsibilities under this program or has discriminated against you during the verification process based upon your national origin or citizenship status, please call the Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515).