Professional Responsibility Counsel

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

Professional Responsibility Counsel

US-IL-Chicago | US-Washington DC | US-WI-Madison | US-WI-Milwaukee | US-NY-New York

Overview

Foley & Lardner LLP is a great place to work because of what we do and how we do it. Here, your unique perspectives, experiences, and abilities will be embraced and developed, so you can excel. Being a part of Foley means having the opportunities and resources necessary to gain experience, advance professional goals, and forge meaningful connections. It's a place where you can build your career and enjoy professionally satisfying work. We have over 2,300 people who are #HappyatFoley, and we think you will be too.

The Professional Responsibility Counsel ("PRC") is a staff lawyer who facilitates the firm's compliance with ethics and regulatory requirements. The PRC is a member of the administrative management team and is a practicing lawyer whose sole client is the firm. A successful candidate will have demonstrated understanding of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct; understanding of conflicts of interest rules, including the ability to identify conflicts and determine appropriate resolution; and strong legal research and writing skills with an ability to translate legal requirements into operational process.

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.


• Promptly elevate potential novel or complex professional responsibility or compliance issues to the Deputy General Counsel; conduct legal research on ethics rules, professional responsibility issues, and conflicts-related topics to support resolution of assigned matters or team projects; undertake research projects and special initiatives at the direction of the Deputy General Counsel; monitor and report on changes to applicable rules of professional conduct, ethics opinions, and emerging legal and regulatory requirements affecting lawyers and the firm.


• Contribute reliably to shared inboxes, urgent matters, and team processes; support Office of General Counsel projects; protect and maintain highly sensitive, confidential, privileged, and proprietary information.

Qualifications

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


• 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 required; law firm experience preferred.


• 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.

In support of transparency and equity in the workplace, Foley provides salary ranges for all positions. The figures below represent the full compensation range of this position. The actual offered amount will be between the range minimum and midpoint based on the following factors: education, experience, geographic market, and internal pay equity at Foley. #LI-Hybrid

• Madison, Milwaukee - $130,900 to $196,400


• Chicago - $144,000 to $216,000


• New York City, and Washington D.C. - $157,100 to $235,700

Foley & Lardner LLP is a top ranked law firm with offices throughout the United States and abroad. At Foley we strive to remain true to our core values- our clients, integrity, our people, citizenship, diversity, trust & respect, stewardship & accountability and professional satisfaction. As a result, we offer the highest quality legal counsel to our clients, as well as outstanding professional opportunities for our employees.

Foley employees enjoy a comfortable, yet professional work environment, exceptional benefit package, state-of-the-art technology, work/life balance, great working relationships and much more.

We invite you to consider a career with Foley.