Practice Group Manager - Litigation

Sidley Austin LLP; New York (NY); On-site; USD 185,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP seeks a Practice Group Manager – Litigation (PGM) to lead administrative efforts for the Global Litigation Practice Group. You will partner with Global Practice Leaders and office leadership to advance strategic objectives and improve consistency and efficiency across offices.

You will oversee budgeting, staffing, hiring processes, and cross-office reporting, while developing materials for leadership meetings and promoting collaboration across departments.

Qualifications

• J.D. and 5–7 years of legal practice or comparable management experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary administrative manager for the Global Litigation Practice Group (GPG).
• Coordinate with GPLs, office leadership, and departments to implement firmwide initiatives.
• Develop and manage budgets for the practice group.
• Create materials for internal GPG meetings and leadership sessions.
• Define hiring needs and facilitate lateral hiring and onboarding.
• Monitor associate productivity and staffing trends; optimize staffing across offices.
• Escalate practice group issues such as billing and time entry as needed.

Skills

Legal management

MS Office

Excel

PowerPoint

Scheduling tools

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

PowerPoint

Resource Management/Scheduling Tools

Job description

In this role, the Practice Group Manager – Litigation (PGM) will serve as the primary administrative manager for the Global Litigation Practice Group (GPG), partnering with the Global Practice Leaders, office litigation leadership, and key administrative departments to advance the practice group's strategic, operational, and lawyer talent objectives across offices.The PGM will identify opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency, and collaboration across the practice while coordinating with Practice Area Teams (PATs), office litigation leadership, and functional departments to implement firmwide and practice group initiatives.Duties and ResponsibilitiesPartner with office litigation chairs and local litigation practice managers (where applicable) to promote consistency across offices while recognizing local market needs and operational requirements.Foster communication and collaboration among Global Practice Leaders, Practice Area Teams, office litigation leadership, and administrative departments to support firmwide Litigation priorities.Coordinate with Marketing, Knowledge Management and Revenue Management Litigation leads to create customized reporting that provides a holistic view of the Litigation practice for the Global Practice Leaders (GPLs).Work with the GPLs to create and implement a strategic business plan and strategic objectives; stay abreast of industry trends to help inform and augment those strategic priorities.Work with the Strategic Group to analyze practice group metrics and dashboards, productivity reports, and other management reporting to identify trends, inform strategic decision-making, and drive operational improvements across the Litigation practice.Serve as the primary administrative liaison between the Global Litigation Practice Group, office litigation leadership, and the Firm's functional departments to coordinate strategic initiatives, operational priorities, and cross-practice projects.Partner with Litigation leadership to develop and manage budgets.Develop content, identify speakers, and create materials for internal Litigation GPG-wide and leadership meetings, including the Annual Partner Meeting Litigation sessions.Work with Partners and Legal Recruiting team to define and communicate the hiring needs of the practice group and to facilitate lateral hiring and onboarding (including returning judicial clerks).Work with Litigation leadership to develop a potential partner and counsel promotion candidate list, partner and counsel candidate memos, and candidate business plans.Monitor and analyze associate productivity and staffing trends across offices, partnering with office litigation leadership and staffing personnel to evaluate staffing models, optimize lawyer development opportunities, facilitate cross-office staffing, and ensure appropriate resource allocation.Monitor, follow-up on and escalate (as needed) practice group-related issues ranging from strategic to day-to-day matters, such as billing, time entry, etc.Identify, recommend, and implement best practices that promote consistency, operational excellence, and efficient delivery of Litigation administrative services across offices.Education and/or Experience:Required:Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a minimum of five to seven years of legal practice or comparable law firm management experience.Proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, Power Point, Resource Management/Scheduling Tools, and other related applications.Strong presence in the face of complexity and time-constrained challenges.Proficient at negotiating and managing conflict.Proven client service focus, with an ability to resolve issues quickly and a sense of urgency.Flexible in adapting to constantly changing priorities.Preferred:Prior experience in staffing, professional development or practice support.Other Skills and Abilities:The following will also be required of the successful candidate:Strong organizational skillsStrong attention to detailGood judgmentStrong interpersonal communication skillsStrong analytical and problem-solving skillsAble to work harmoniously and effectively with othersAble to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretionAble to work under pressureAble to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and prioritiesThe target salary range for this role is:$185,000 - $260,000 if located in New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, or Washington, D.C.Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits .To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [e-mail] (current employees should contact Human Resources).Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.