Legal Practice Coordinator

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with Company Contribution

Medical insurance

Vision Care

Health Savings Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts

Parental/Family Leave

Life Insurance

Job summary

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP seeks a highly organized Legal Practice Coordinator for our Chicago office. You will support attorneys and a Fortune 500 client in a fast-paced environment, coordinating intake, matter creation, and document management across internal systems.

Requires exceptional attention to detail, strong communication, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with accuracy. This role oversees calendars, dockets, and confidential correspondence while contributing to process

Qualifications

• Experience in a law firm, legal department, or professional services environment preferred.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Maintain Smartsheet intake and matter tracking views for client visibility.
• Coordinate matter intake, including client forms and new business intake. Ensure accurate matter setup.
• Support CourtAlert setup, case creation, and docket-related updates.
• Oversee matter maintenance, metadata tracking, QC reviews, and post-closure follow-up.
• Monitor workflows for completeness; identify gaps and escalate as needed.
• Coordinate transfer of client documents into iManage.
• Serve as the operations point of contact for client questions from attorneys and staff.
• Assist with reporting, visibility metrics, and coordination with Finance.
• Learn client-specific workflows, timelines, and expectations.
• Promote consistency, standardization, and scalability of administrative tasks.
• Identify opportunities to streamline repetitive support work.
• Manage attorney calendars for deadlines and meetings; maintain dockets.
• Prepare, format, and finalize legal documents and templates.
• Process incoming mail and electronic correspondence; file appropriately.
• Organize electronic and hard-copy files; handle conflict checks and intake materials.
• Prepare confidential correspondence and assist with timekeeping and expenses.
• Communicate with clients regarding matters, billing, and status updates.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Multitasking

Microsoft Office

Legal workflows

Tools

Smartsheet

CourtAlert

iManage

Docketing systems

Timekeeping systems

Job description

Michael Best is seeking a highly organized and proactive full-time Legal Practice Coordinator to join our Chicago office.

This position provides critical support to attorneys and one of the firm's Fortune 500 clients. Working in a fast-paced, client-focused environment, you will manage a variety of administrative and operational responsibilities while serving as a key point of coordination between attorneys, practice group leadership, and the client. Success in this role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities with professionalism and accuracy.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain Smartsheet intake and matter tracking views to support internal and client-facing visibility.
• Coordinate matter intake, including client intake forms, submitting new business intake requests, and matter creation tracking across internal systems, ensure matters are set up accurately and consistently.
• Support CourtAlert setup and maintenance, including case creation, basic case detail validation, and docket-related updates.
• Support ongoing matter maintenance and quality control, including status updates, key metadata tracking, quality control reviews, closure readiness, and post-closure follow-up.
• Monitor case workflows for completeness, identify gaps, and escalated issues as needed.
• Coordinate the organization and transfer of client-submitted documents into iManage.
• Serve as an operational point of contact for client-related questions from attorneys, legal assistants, and Operations.
• Support reporting and tracking needs, including visibility, basic metrics, and coordination with Finance.
• Develop working knowledge of client-specific workflows, timelines, and client expectations.
• Promote consistency, standardization, and scalability across administrative and legal support tasks.
• Identify opportunities to streamline, document, or reassign repetitive support work.

Administrative Support Responsibilities

• Manage attorney calendars for deadlines and meetings.
• Maintain dockets in CourtAlert, including deadline tracking and updates.
• Prepare, format, and finalize legal documents, correspondence, and standard case templates.
• Review, route, and file incoming mail and electronic correspondence appropriately.
• Maintain and organize electronic and hard-copy files, as applicable.
• Process new matter documentation, including conflict checks, intake support, and engagement materials.
• Compose and prepare confidential correspondence on behalf of attorneys.
• Enter attorney time and assist with related timekeeping tasks as needed.
• Prepare and submit attorney and client-related expense reports and reimbursements.
• Communicate with clients regarding matters, billing, and status updates as directed.
• Coordinate with firm support departments to facilitate client-related work.
• Assist attorneys with document execution, signatures, filing logistics, and related administrative support.

Job Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple time-sensitive tasks with accuracy.
• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to coordinate and track work across multiple systems, workflows, and stakeholders.
• Ability to identify gaps, follow up proactively, and escalated issues appropriately.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook, Word, and Excel, and ability to learn and use legal, intake, docketing, document management, and billing-related systems.
• Ability to support process consistency, standardization, and continuous improvement in administrative and legal support workflows.
• Strong customer service and relationship management skills when working with attorneys, clients, and internal business partners.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in a law firm, legal department, professional services environment, or other administrative/operations-focused role preferred.
• Experience in process-driven environments requiring accuracy, organization, and coordination across stakeholders strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting attorneys or cross-functional professional teams preferred.

The Company

This is an opportunity to work with the Best. We are Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP. We are a full-service law firm with more than 350 lawyers and technical professionals who work in collaborative, interdisciplinary practices to serve clients around the world.

We work with companies in all kinds of industries, as well as trade associations, nonprofits, educational institutions, governments, family trusts, and high-net-worth individuals. Since our firm’s founding in 1848, we’ve continuously evolved to meet our clients’ changing needs and expectations. One thing remains the same: For generations, clients have relied on Michael Best for exceptional legal service and business acumen.

The Location

We have offices in Wisconsin (Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha); Illinois (Chicago); Utah (Salt Lake City); Colorado (Denver, Broomfield); Texas (Austin); North Carolina (Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Wilmington); California (Los Angeles); New York (New York City); Nebraska (Lincoln); and Washington DC. Our contemporary office spaces are ideal for concentration and collaboration; supporting our culture of working together to make great things happen for our Clients. This position will be based in our Chicago office.

Why You Should Apply

At Michael Best, we are proud to offer a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewards package that provides a variety of resources designed to enhance its employees’ overall well-being, both at work and at home. Competitive base pay, outstanding benefits, opportunities for learning and growth, programs designed to help you plan for the future, and perks that inspire your downtime are all part of our total compensation package.

Learning and Growth

• Challenging and Dynamic Role
• Professional Growth Opportunities
• Performance Management and Coaching
• Specialized Training Programs
• Medical
• Vision Care
• Health Savings Accounts
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Wellness Program
• Employee and Family Assistance Program

Total Compensation

• Competitive Base Pay
• Annual Merit Review/Incentive Pay

Planning for the Future

• 401(k) with Company Contribution
• Short Term Disability Plan
• Long Term Disability Plan
• Life Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Parental/Family Leave

Culture and Workplace

• Respected organization with Collaborative Culture
• Growing Firm with an Exciting Future
• Contemporary Work Environment
• Positive and Respectful Work Climate
• Performance Recognition

Compensation for this position will range from $60,000 - $70,000, depending on experience and location.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP and Michael Best Strategies LLC (collectively known as "Michael Best") are steadfastly committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination based upon age, race, religion, color, disability, marital status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact our Recruiting team at 414.225.4999 or [e-mail] to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.