Training and Development Advisor

Professional Development Consortium (PDC); Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 123,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorsey & Whitney seeks a Training and Development Advisor to partner with practice groups, map skill gaps, and translate insights into targeted training strategies across the firm. You will shape competency models, curate content, and collaborate with leadership to scale programs that elevate performance.

This role focuses on building durable processes for feedback, templates, and documentation, while engaging senior attorneys and practice group leaders to drive meaningful development and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or JD with relevant experience in legal talent development.
• Experience building credibility with senior professionals in high-performance environments.
• Strong consultative and active listening skills, translating input into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to present to diverse audiences.
• Experience conducting needs assessments or structured stakeholder engagement.
• Familiarity with instructional design principles and PD technology platforms.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key point of contact for practice groups, developing knowledge of their work and talent priorities.
• Build and maintain relationships with Practice Group Leaders and partners to discuss development needs.
• Conduct structured and informal needs assessments to identify skill gaps and training priorities.
• Translate objectives and feedback into actionable training strategies and priorities.
• Partner on development and maintenance of competency models and benchmarks.
• Collaborate on training program design, implementation, and evaluation.
• Identify and curate content from experts and vendors to support learning priorities.
• Source and vet trainers and coordinate workshops.
• Assist in developing scalable infrastructure for attorney development, including workflows and templates.
• Support firm-wide initiatives and special projects.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Needs assessments

Relationship building

Communication

Project coordination

AI tools in learning

Instructional design familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree

JD

Tools

Learning Management System (LMS)

Job description

City: Minneapolis
State: MN
Remote/WFH?: Flexible
Dorsey & Whitney Minneapolis, MN 55402
United States

1660 International Dr
Suite 600
McLean, VA 22102

Connect with us on LinkedIn

Join our growing Professional Development team as a Training and Development Advisor to shape the way our attorneys learn, grow, and excel. In this highly collaborative role, you will be a trusted partner to practice groups by building deep relationships, surfacing skill gaps through structured and informal assessments, and translating insights into targeted, practice-specific training strategies. You will help design and maintain competency models and benchmarks, curate and source high-impact content and trainers, and work closely with leadership to deliver scalable programs that elevate performance across the firm. If you are energized by stakeholder engagement, program design, and building infrastructure that supports clear feedback and continuous development, this role offers the opportunity to drive meaningful impact while contributing to firm-wide initiatives and special projects.

In This Role, You Will

• Serve as a key point of contact for practice groups, developing knowledge of their work, culture, and talent priorities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Practice Group Leaders, Practice Group Directors, partners, and associates to ensure ongoing dialogue about development needs.
• Conduct structured and informal needs assessments across practice groups to identify skill gaps, training priorities, and developmental opportunities.
• Translate practice group objectives and attorney feedback into actionable training strategies and priorities.
• Partner with practice group leaders, the Professional Development Director, and the Director of Legal Talent Management on the development, implementation, and maintenance of practice-group specific competency models and benchmarks.
• Work collaboratively with the Professional Development Manager to translate practice group competency frameworks and feedback into discrete learning initiatives.
• Identify and curate content from internal subject matter experts, external vendors, and other resources to support identified practice group learning priorities; advise on training resources to address individual associate training needs.
• Source and vet internal and external trainers; coordinate with third-party providers to schedule and deliver specialized workshops.
• Partner closely with the Professional Development Manager on overall training program design, implementation, and evaluation.
• Contribute to the department’s broader efforts to build a structured, scalable infrastructure for attorney development, including workflows, templates, and documentation standards.
• Assist in the development of tools and resources that facilitate effective ongoing feedback and development conversations.
• Support Professional Development and Firm-wide special projects and initiatives as needed.
• May perform other duties not listed above.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 6 years of related law firm experience or JD and at least 3 years of experience in legal talent development.
• Strong understanding of law firm practice, attorney workflows, and the competencies required for success across levels and practice areas.
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with senior professionals in a high-performance environment.
• Strong consultative and active listening skills, with the ability to ask the right questions, synthesize complex input, and translate it into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present ideas clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage and drive multiple stakeholder relationships and workstreams simultaneously.
• Experience conducting needs assessments or other forms of structured stakeholder engagement.
• Experience with or interest in leveraging AI and other technology tools to support attorney learning and development.

Preferred

• JD.
• Experience developing competency frameworks, career milestones documents, or similar structured talent development tools.
• Familiarity with instructional design principles and the ability to collaborate effectively with learning design/implementation specialists.
• Familiarity with CLE requirements and processes.
• Experience with learning management systems or other PD technology platforms

About Dorsey

Dorsey & Whitney is a global law firm with over 650 lawyers across 22 offices in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. We provide strategic legal counsel to companies worldwide across a diverse range of industries, including banking & financial institutions; development & infrastructure; energy & natural resources; food, beverage & agribusiness; healthcare & life sciences; and technology. Dorsey offers opportunities for advancement within a collaborative and dynamic environment, with competitive pay and excellent benefits. Our benefits are available to business professionals working 17+ hours/week along with their dependents, including spouses and domestic partners regardless of gender. Dorsey’s benefit package includes: comprehensive medical insurance with coverage for infertility, gender-affirming care, behavioral health, and access to virtual providers; dental insurance; vision insurance; 401(k) retirement savings plan with Firm contribution; basic and optional life insurance; short and long-term disability; paid time off; up to 8 weeks of paid parental leave with up to an additional 6-8 weeks of paid short-term disability for business professionals who give birth; paid holidays; paid volunteer day; discretionary bonuses (if bonus eligible); adoption assistance; healthcare, dependent care, and transportation pre-tax reimbursement accounts; back-up child and elder care program; education and college advising program; virtual tutoring; wellbeing programs and activities; mass transit program (certain offices); travel assistance program; 24/7 employee assistance program with access to five confidential visits with a licensed counselor at no cost. (Some benefits are subject to eligibility criteria.)

One Of Our Greatest Strengths Is a Friendly, Cooperative Culture That Values And Appreciates Each Individual.

• Mansfield Certification Plus (Diversity Lab)
• Best Law Firms for Women (National Association of Female Executives and Flex-Time Lawyers)
• 100% rating on the Corporate Equality Index (Human Rights Campaign)
• Gold Standard Certification (Women in Law Empowerment Forum)
• Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Workplace (Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption)

Reasonable Accommodations

Dorsey is committed to providing disability and religious-based reasonable accommodations, as well as menopause, pregnancy or lactation-related reasonable accommodations. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process, or if you have questions about a workplace reasonable accommodation, please contact us at 612-492-5178.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP participates in E-Verify.

The pay range for this position in Minnesota only is an annual salary of $123,080 to $159,280.

Dorsey estimates it will accept applications through July 16, 2026.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is an EEO/AAP/Disabled Vets Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, affectional preference, disability, age, marital status, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, military or veteran status, or any other legally-protected status.