Cyber Practice Specialist

USA Alston & Bird; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Alston & Bird LLP in Washington, DC seeks a Cyber Practice Specialist to organize complex matters, coordinate deadlines, staffing, budgets, and reporting for the Privacy, Cyber, and Data Strategy group.

You will partner with attorneys, clients, and outside providers, supporting practice operations, playbooks, and knowledge management while contributing to client programs and business development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in practice support, legal operations, project coordination, matter management, or related professional services.
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, shifting priorities, and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Experience coordinating with senior professionals and across clients, business teams, and outside providers.
• Familiarity with budgets, billing, reporting, or matter administration.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with ability to present information clearly.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with reporting or project management tools.
• Willingness to support urgent team needs outside standard hours.
• Commitment to confidentiality and client service.
• Experience in cyber, privacy, crisis management, investigations, or fast-paced environments.
• Experience with law firm financial, billing, matter management, or reporting systems.
• Experience maintaining dashboards, playbooks, or process documentation.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; PM/privacy certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate active cyber matters by maintaining workplans, deadlines, staffing information, budgets, risks, and next steps.
• Prepare and update status reports, meeting materials, workplans, and briefing materials for attorneys and clients.
• Participate in internal and client status meetings, document decisions and action items, and follow up with responsible team members.
• Assist with staffing coordination, workload tracking, after-hours coverage, and transitions among related matter teams.
• Support post-matter reviews and organize lessons learned for future use.
• Coordinate routine communications among attorneys, clients, internal departments, and outside service providers.
• Help maintain updates regarding progress, deadlines, risks, and upcoming decisions.
• Support handoffs across teams, offices, and external partners for continuity.
• Track matter budgets, fees, expenses, and financial information with Finance.
• Support timekeeping, task coding, and matter management practices.
• Compile recurring reports on matter activity, workload, deadlines, budgets, and priorities.
• Maintain playbooks, templates, dashboards, and other practice resources.
• Identify and recommend practical improvements to workflows and reporting.
• Coordinate logistics for team meetings, client programs, training, and readiness.
• Support business development and practice materials including experience tracking and client communications.

Skills

Project coordination

Legal operations

Budgeting

Reporting

Client communication

MS Office

Cyber practice

After-hours support

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

PM certification is a plus

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project management tools

Job description

THE FIRM As a leading international law firm, we are dedicated to excellence through impactful communication, collaboration, and community involvement. Our company culture has earned us the designation as one of the \"100 Best Companies to Work For\" for 27 consecutive years. This honor, along with many others, highlights our commitment to innovation and professional development. At Alston & Bird LLP, our foundation is made of trust, reliability, and compassion.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Join our Privacy, Cyber, and Data Strategy practice as a Cyber Practice Specialist and play a key role in keeping complex, fast-moving matters organized and on track. Partnering with attorneys, clients, internal teams, and outside providers, you will coordinate deadlines, staffing, budgets, reporting, communications, and other critical aspects of matter management. The role combines hands‑on matter coordination with broader practice operations, including status reporting, priority tracking, dashboards, playbooks, process improvements, client programs, training, business development, and knowledge management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Matter and Practice Support

• Support the coordination of active cyber matters by maintaining workplans, deadlines, staffing information, budgets, risks, and next steps.
• Prepare and update status reports, meeting materials, workplans, and briefing materials for attorneys, practice leaders, and clients.
• Participate in internal and client status meetings, document decisions and action items, and follow up with responsible team members.
• Assist with staffing coordination, workload tracking, after-hours coverage, and transitions among related matter teams.
• Support post‑matter reviews and organize lessons learned for future use.

Client, Vendor, and Team Coordination

• Coordinate routine communications and information flow among attorneys, clients, internal departments, and outside service providers.
• Help maintain clear and timely updates regarding progress, deadlines, risks, and upcoming decisions.
• Support handoffs across teams, offices, and external partners to promote continuity and consistent execution.
• Serve as a dependable resource for attorneys and business professionals within the practice.

Financial and Administrative Support

• Track matter budgets, fees, expenses, and financial information in coordination with Finance.
• Support consistent timekeeping, task coding, and matter management practices.
• Compile recurring reports on matter activity, workload, deadlines, budgets, and other practice priorities.

Process Improvement and Practice Development

• Maintain playbooks, templates, checklists, dashboards, and other practice resources.
• Identify and recommend practical improvements to workflows, reporting, and team coordination.
• Coordinate logistics and materials for team meetings, client programs, training exercises, and readiness initiatives.
• Support business development functions, including experience tracking, client communications, and practice materials.
• Organize institutional knowledge, including matter insights, vendor feedback, and process recommendations.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of experience in practice support, legal operations, project coordination, matter management, consulting, or a related professional services environment, including experience in a law firm or comparable client‑service organization.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple projects, shifting priorities, and time‑sensitive deadlines.
• Experience working with senior professionals and coordinating across clients, business teams, and outside providers.
• Familiarity with budgets, billing, reporting, or other aspects of matter administration.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to organize and present information clearly.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with reporting or project management tools.
• Availability to support urgent team needs outside standard business hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays when needed.
• Strong commitment to confidentiality, discretion, sound judgment, and client service.
• Preferred Experience supporting a cyber, privacy, crisis management, investigations, or other fast‑paced legal or consulting practice.
• Experience with law firm financial, billing, matter management, or reporting systems.
• Experience maintaining dashboards, operational reports, playbooks, or process documentation.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; relevant project management, legal operations, privacy, or practice management certification is a plus.

Key Competencies

• Ownership and responsiveness: Acts with urgency, follows through, and keeps assigned work moving.
• Organization and execution: Manages competing priorities, details, and deadlines with care and consistency.
• Judgment and composure: Remains calm, practical, and solutions focused in high‑pressure situations.
• Communication and collaboration: Shares information clearly and builds effective working relationships.
• Initiative: Anticipates needs, identifies issues, and seeks guidance or escalates when appropriate.
• Continuous improvement: Looks for practical ways to improve efficiency, consistency, and visibility.
• Business awareness: Understands the importance of client service, matter economics, and efficient practice operations.

The salary range specific to Washington DC is $120,000 - $130,000 for this position and represents the Firm’s good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at this time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and locations.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Alston & Bird LLP is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, and termination. Alston & Bird also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities and to individuals who require an accommodation based on religion, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, as required by applicable law. Applicants who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process may contact [e-mail].

PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING

Employment may be contingent upon the successful completion of applicable pre‑employment screening, which may include professional references and a background screening, consistent with applicable law.