Practice Assistant / Legal Secretary – Nashville

Kirkland & Ellis; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in Houston seeks a highly organized Practice Assistant to provide administrative support to attorneys. You will manage document production, schedule meetings, and ensure efficient workflows. The ideal candidate has five or more years of relevant experience and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office. You will work in a collaborative environment, supporting high-performing legal teams while maintaining discretion and professionalism.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of legal secretarial, administrative, or related experience.
• Prior experience in a law firm or professional services environment is preferred.
• Ability to manage competing priorities independently.

Responsibilities

• Create, revise, format, and finalize legal documents and correspondence.
• Manage calendars, schedule meetings, and coordinate travel arrangements.
• Provide responsive support to attorneys and colleagues.

Skills

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Customer-focused mindset

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Adobe Acrobat DC

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 23 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

This position will be physically based in our Nashville, Tennessee office, which opens in Spring 2026.

What You’ll Do

Are you a service-driven professional who thrives in a fast-paced legal environment and takes pride in delivering seamless administrative support? The Nashville office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP is seeking a highly organized and proactive Practice Assistant to support attorneys and contribute to the firm’s exceptional client service. In this role, you’ll serve as a key partner to legal team by managing priorities, anticipating needs, and ensuring work is executed with precision, discretion, and professionalism. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys variety, values collaboration, and remains calm and effective under pressure.

• Document Preparation & Production: Create, revise, format, and finalize legal documents, correspondence, spreadsheets, and presentations using firm-standard software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat DC, document management systems (DMS), and comparison tools; proofread materials and flag inconsistencies to ensure accuracy and quality.
• Administrative & Practice Support: Manage calendars, schedule meetings and conference calls, coordinate travel arrangements, process expense reimbursements, enter attorney time, and handle phone communications with professionalism and efficiency.
• Client Service & Team Collaboration: Provide responsive, service-oriented support to attorneys and colleagues; assist other Practice Assistants as needed to meet client and firm deadlines while fostering strong, collaborative working relationships.
• File & Records Management: Establish and maintain electronic and paper files in compliance with firm policies and confidentiality requirements.
• Professional Standards & Discretion: Handle sensitive and confidential information with sound judgment, diplomacy, and adherence to firm policies, security measures, and attendance guidelines.
• Workflow Management: Organize, assess, and prioritize multiple assignments simultaneously, adapting quickly to changing demands in a dynamic legal environment.

What You’ll Bring

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Five or more years of legal secretarial, administrative, or closely related experience; prior experience in a law firm or professional services environment is strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, including document formatting using Styles; working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat DC, with PowerPoint and Excel experience preferred.
• Exceptional attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities independently.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, a customer-focused mindset, and the ability to build effective working relationships across all levels of the firm.
• A dependable, punctual, and adaptable approach, with flexibility to work overtime as business needs require.

If you’re energized by supporting high-performing legal teams, delivering outstanding client service, and making an impact in a collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.