Senior Manager, Attorney Professional Development

Foley & Lardner LLP; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 181,000 - 271,000; Full time

Job summary

Foley & Lardner LLP seeks a Senior Manager, Professional Development to lead the attorney training function firm-wide, overseeing legal skills training and the CLE program while guiding AI-learning initiatives aligned with client service expectations.

You will design, pilot, and scale curricula, manage external providers, and collaborate with Talent, DEI, and Marketing teams to enhance attorney development and business skills in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; JD preferred.
• At least 10 years in a large law firm or professional development/training.
• Experience with legal tech and AI in a professional services context preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversees all attorney training including legal and professional skills training to support attorneys across all practice groups and throughout all stages of their legal careers.
• Operationalizes the firm's attorney AI learning strategy, including integrating AI learning across the attorney lifecycle while preserving foundational lawyering skills.
• Develops, pilots, and scales AI-related curriculum, resources, and programming for training across practice areas.
• Develops and implements training programs for professional success, business of law, and business development.
• Manages tenure-based training programs like Tier II Academy and Senior Counsel meeting.

Skills

Legal training

Professional development

AI tools

Training design

Education

Bachelor's Degree

J.D. preferred

Tools

AI platforms

Legal tech tools

Job description

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 Senior Manager, Professional Development will work with the Director, Professional Development, Chief Talent Officer, and various firm leaders to design and implement innovative programs and approaches to developing, training, and engaging attorneys over the arc of their careers. The Senior Manager will have oversight for the entire attorney training function within the Professional Development team, including the supervision of the team developing and implementing the legal skills training across all three law departments, plus oversight for the Continuing Legal Education team. This role will also collaboratively oversee the professional success, business of law, and business development skills training curriculum for attorneys ranging from first year associates to senior partners. Additionally, this role will support the operationalization of the firm's attorney AI learning strategy, ensuring that current and future generations of attorneys are trained to implement approved AI platforms in their practice while maintaining professional judgment and high standards of client service.

Responsibilities

• Oversees all attorney training including legal and professional skills training to support attorneys across all practice groups and throughout all stages of their legal careers
• Operationalizes the firm's attorney AI learning strategy, including integrating AI learning across the attorney lifecycle in a way that preserves foundational lawyering skills and aligns training with evolving tools, client expectations, and firm priorities
• Develops, pilots, and scales AI-related curriculum, resources, and programming that incorporate AI into practice-based training, reflecting emerging best practices and firm priorities
• Develops and implements training programs directed toward professional success, business of law, and business development skills
• Manages all aspects of the tenure-based training programs where professional success skills are emphasized, including programs such as Tier II Academy and the annual Senior Counsel meeting
• Collaborates with the integration team to develop and deliver onboarding programs for new classes of associates and partners, including programs such as New Associate Academy and the Promoted Partner Program
• Designs, manages, and implements ongoing training offerings on topics of professional success, business of law, and business development
• Evaluates curriculum and proposes content sources, whether from internal or external resources, including AI-related training content and resources
• Manages relationships with external providers of training content provided to an attorney audience through the Professional Development team
• Evaluates the value of, and implements where appropriate, competency models and curriculum guides that establish benchmarks and set clear expectations for associates and senior counsel
• Develops and uses various methods such as surveys, assessments and pilot groups to elicit feedback on training program needs
• Develops presentations and presents on various topics including training, core competencies, and other areas
• Supervises the firm’s Continuing Legal Education team and the issuance of CLE credits for both internal and client-facing legal skills programs; the coordination of the payment of annual bar dues; and the collaboration with the General Counsel’s office on the approach for ensuring CLE-compliance for all of the firm’s attorneys
• Collaborates with the Professional Development leadership team to develop innovative and best practices guiding the structure and delivery of internal training programs
• Collaborates with the Business Development & Marketing team to develop business development training
• Coordinates with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team on training and initiatives to support the firm’s DEI efforts and strategic plan
• Coordinates with the Best Self Committee on training-related initiatives to support the firm’s wellness initiatives and related core values
• Monitors trends in professional development, including with regard to development-related technologies, AI tools, and innovative learning methods, in order to propose new and innovative solutions that improve the attorney experience and delivery of Professional Development resources
• Develops strong relationships with attorneys and business professionals so as to best leverage the Professional Development team’s expertise, programs and materials
• Oversees expense approval for training expenses incurred by trainees attending programs (meals, hotels, transportation) or in the delivery of the programs themselves (vendors, materials, gifts)

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required, JD preferred
• Minimum ten (10) years of legal practice in a large law firm and/or experience working in professional development or training, preferably in a law firm or professional services firm, required
• Experience with or exposure to legal technology and AI tools in a professional services context preferred

Compensation and Benefits

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. We are accepting ongoing applications. Foley & Lardner LLP will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with California's Fair Chance Act.

Milwaukee - $150,600 to $225,900 #LI-Hybrid

Chicago, Dallas, Denver - $165,700 to $248,500

Los Angeles - $173,200 - $259,800

Boston, New York, Washington D.C. - $180,700 to $271,100

Job Details

• Employer: Foley & Lardner LLP
• Locations: US-TX-Dallas - US-CO-Denver - US-IL-Chicago - US-Washington DC - US-WI-Milwaukee - US-MA-Boston - US-NY-New York - US-CA-Los Angeles
• Job ID: 2026-3529
• Category: Talent
• Type: Regular Full-Time
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Scheduled Hours: 40+
• Workplace: Hybrid
• Contract type and working hours: Regular Full-Time, 40+ hours per week

Additional Information

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.