Ethics & Conflicts Counsel: Firm Risk & Compliance

Foley & Lardner LLP; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

Foley & Lardner LLP seeks a Professional Responsibility Counsel to support compliance with ethics and regulatory requirements across the firm’s offices, including Chicago, Washington DC, Madison, Milwaukee, and New York. The role emphasizes conflicts management, policy development, and independent decision-making on routine conflicts.

The candidate will apply Model Rules knowledge, translate complex ethics concepts into practical guidance, and collaborate with the Deputy General Counsel to

Qualifications

• J.D. and current license to practice law in the state in which the employee is located.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in legal ethics, conflicts of interest, professional responsibility, or a closely related area of law firm risk management.
• Experience with conflicts clearance processes, engagement terms, outside counsel guidelines, waivers, or ethics walls strongly preferred; regulatory compliance, contract review, and intellectual property law experience a plus.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to translate conflicts and ethics concepts into practical guidance for attorneys and staff at all levels of the firm.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the development of policies and processes that assist firm lawyers to comply with their ethical and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a resource for complex conflicts of interest questions on new matters, lateral-hire candidates, and other engagements as assigned; review situation-specific conflicts and analyze results in light of applicable rules and firm policies; render independent determinations on routine conflicts, including clearance, waiver, or screening recommendations; promote complex or novel issues to the Deputy General Counsel with a recommended resolution.
• Review, negotiate, and approve engagement letters, conflict waivers, requests for proposal, and outside counsel guidelines; identify issues related to conflicts, ethics, liability, and firm policy; draft, review, and advise on waivers and ethics walls in coordination with the Deputy General Counsel as appropriate; communicate non-standard or high-risk terms to responsible partners and elevate when warranted.
• Supervise and support Conflicts Analysts in performing conflicts searches and preliminary analysis; serve as a resource for the Conflicts Manager on procedural and substantive questions; prepare and deliver training for attorneys and staff on conflicts, ethics, and professional responsibility topics; provide ongoing feedback to ensure consistent application of firm conflicts policies.
• Advise firm partners, and practice-group leaders on ethics, professional responsibility, and risk-management matters; coordinate with stakeholders to resolve conflicts issues and communicate status updates until the matter is resolved or appropriately escalated; respond to inquiries within established service-level targets and document guidance provided.

Skills

Legal ethics

Conflicts of interest

Research and writing

Policy development

Education

J.D. and current license to practice law in the state in which the employee is located

Job description

Foley & Lardner LLP seeks a Professional Responsibility Counsel to support compliance with ethics and regulatory requirements across the firm’s offices, including Chicago, Washington DC, Madison, Milwaukee, and New York. The role emphasizes conflicts management, policy development, and independent decision-making on routine conflicts.

The candidate will apply Model Rules knowledge, translate complex ethics concepts into practical guidance, and collaborate with the Deputy General Counsel to