Manager of Legal Engagement

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP in New York is seeking a Manager of Legal Engagement to support attorney staffing, onboarding, and policy compliance across the firm’s practices. The role partners with leadership to ensure proper staffing, workload guidance, and consistent attorney support across offices.

The position emphasizes hands-on onboarding, early engagement, and policy execution, working with the Talent team to align staffing with firm standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in a law firm or client-centered professional services environment with hands-on staffing/onboarding experience.
• Strong understanding of law firm structures, attorney utilization, timekeeping, and engagement expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with attorneys and business professionals across seniority levels.

Responsibilities

• Staff attorney staffing and day-to-day resource management across practices and offices.
• Provide ongoing performance feedback and attorney support related to workload and policy compliance.
• Deliver onboarding and integration support for first-year and lateral attorneys.
• Enforce firm policies on time entry, billable hours, in-office attendance, and engagement requirements.
• Collaborate with Leadership and HR to support attorney engagement initiatives.

Skills

Staffing coordination

Attorney engagement

Policy execution

Communication

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

JD preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Department: Accounting/Practice Management

Job Number: 100547

Offices: New York; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Silicon Valley; Washington, D.C.

With 500+ professionals and 350+ business 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 distinct and compelling value proposition.

Opportunity

The Manager of Legal Engagement will play a hands‑on role within the Firm’s Talent team, supporting the execution of attorney staffing, engagement, onboarding, and policy compliance across Manatt’s legal practices. Working in close partnership with the Director of Legal Engagement, practice leadership, and firm stakeholders, this role focuses on the day‑to‑day application of firm policies, attorney integration, staffing coordination, and ongoing attorney support.

This position is highly operational and execution‑oriented, ensuring that attorneys are appropriately staffed, understand firm expectations, and receive consistent guidance related to workload, time policies, and engagement practices.

Key Responsibilities

Attorney Staffing & Day‑to‑Day Resource Management

• Support attorney staffing needs by monitoring attorney availability, capacity, and matter demand across practices and offices.
• Partner with staffing attorneys, practice leaders, and business professionals to facilitate daily work assignments, coverage needs, and staffing adjustments.
• Track attorney utilization, billable hours, and workload patterns, escalating risks or concerns related to sustained over‑ or under‑utilization as appropriate.
• Maintain accurate staffing, utilization, and engagement data within firm systems.

Performance Feedback & Attorney Support

• Support day‑to‑day performance feedback processes by gathering input related to staffing experiences, workload management, and policy compliance.
• Assist in identifying performance or engagement concerns linked to utilization, time management, or workload distribution, escalating issues as appropriate.
• Provide ongoing guidance and coaching to attorneys related to meeting firm expectations around workload, time entry, and engagement.

Onboarding, Integration & Early Engagement

• Deliver hands‑on onboarding and integration support for first‑year and lateral attorneys, ensuring a smooth transition into firm systems, policies, and engagement expectations.
• Serve as a point of contact for new attorneys during their initial integration period, supporting early productivity, engagement, and understanding of workload and time expectations.
• Partner with Legal Training, Practice Management, and other stakeholders to support attorney integration and early engagement initiatives.

Policy Execution & Compliance

• Serve as a primary day‑to‑day resource for attorneys regarding firm policies, including time entry, billable hours expectations, in‑office attendance, and related engagement requirements.
• Support consistent execution and enforcement of attorney‑related policies, helping ensure attorneys understand expectations and comply with firm standards.
• Identify recurring questions, challenges, or friction points related to policy application and elevate observations to the Director of Legal Engagement for refinement or clarification.

Culture, Inclusion & Attorney Experience

• Work closely with the Director of Legal Engagement, Training and Development, Strategic Growth, Recruiting, HR, and other business professionals to support attorney engagement and staffing initiatives.
• Maintain operational processes, documentation, and tracking tools that support staffing coordination, onboarding, and policy execution.
• Contribute to the consistent communication and reinforcement of firmwide attorney engagement practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in a law firm or client‑centered professional services environment, with hands‑on responsibility related to attorney staffing, engagement, onboarding, or practice management.
• Strong understanding of law firm structures, attorney utilization, timekeeping, and engagement expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, service‑oriented environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with attorneys and business professionals across seniority levels.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with law firm practice management or staffing systems preferred.

The base annual pay range for this role is between $150,000-$180,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience and location. A full range of medical, financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position will also be offered.

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).