Professional Development Coordinator – Litigation

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP•New York, NY

6d•$70,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Professional Development Coordinator – Litigation supports the professional development of junior and specialty associates and counsel in the Litigation practice, including staffing, talent engagement, and mentoring. The Litigation practice includes more than 200 U.S. attorneys across six U.S. offices. The coordinator works within the Legal Talent Team, reports to the Senior Manager Professional Development, Litigation, and supports the Litigation department and National Security Regulatory Practice (NSRP) Staffing Partners and Practice Leaders. This is a hybrid role requiring at least three days in the office. The position may be based in either the New York or Washington, D.C. office, with occasional travel between those offices required. The role supports associate staffing and utilization, onboarding, absence tracking and coverage, associate engagement, mentoring and advisor programs, training, department communications and events, and performance review processes. It also provides specialized staffing, onboarding, absence-management, engagement, and mentoring support for NSRP. The position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime. Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
Three to four years of comparable experience.
Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to build professional relationships while maintaining confidentiality.
Collaborative approach to working with people at all seniority levels.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail across long- and short-term projects and responsibilities.
Ability to self-direct, manage multiple priorities, analyze needs, and implement solutions.
Team-oriented approach, including contributing to unexpected projects or requests.
Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and comfort working with web-based databases and software such as viDesktop.
Flexibility to adjust hours to meet departmental needs.

Nice To Haves

Prior law-firm experience preferred.
Staffing experience preferred but not required.
Strong interest and experience in professional development.

Responsibilities

Work with the Senior Manager and Litigation staffing partner to help maintain equitable utilization across the department and teams.
Maintain staffing databases and charts; match staffing needs with associates based on availability, experience, and desired exposure to matters and teams.
Follow up on associate availability reports and self-reported interests and skills; flag missing reports and issues or information raised in availability reports.
Audit practice-area interests and expertise in litigation skills and jurisdictions to support staffing decisions.
Assist with scheduling staffing and welcome meetings, lunches, and other onboarding activities; update group lists.
Track absence time, maintain vacation calendars, coordinate matter-team coverage, and track vacation carryover.
Build professional relationships with associates through regular check-ins, understand their experiences and objectives, assess availability and general wellness, and escalate issues to Legal Talent management.
Coordinate mentor and partner-advisor matches; encourage participation and development discussions; provide feedback between associates, Legal Talent, and partners.
Plan and facilitate team-building events with the Senior Manager and Legal Talent team.
Update the Litigation Department webpage, LitEasy practice page, events ticker, and training library; distribute the monthly Litigation Department listing.
Order and distribute swag; plan events including the annual Litigation holiday party; maintain a list of associates on clerkships; and assist with training logistics.
Send mentoring reminders and match communications; support follow-up encouraging partners and associates to submit mid-year or annual reviews.
Schedule coffee hours and snack breaks on litigation-focused floors in New York; book rooms and arrange catering for group lunches.
Help ensure Litigation associates and counsel receive thorough performance evaluations and developmental objectives; assist with verbal feedback intake from partners and update the VI feedback tracking system.
Coordinate with other Litigation professional service team members on practice-group initiatives; track upcoming associate departures and clerkships; and complete ad hoc projects.
For NSRP, develop and maintain staffing systems, match staffing needs with available and appropriately experienced resources, follow up on availability reports and interests, and flag availability or intake issues.
For NSRP, assist with onboarding new lateral hires and update group lists; track absence time and vacation carryover, coordinate coverage, and maintain the group vacation calendar.
For NSRP, conduct associate check-ins, escalate issues to Legal Talent management, coordinate mentor and advisor pairings, support development dialogue and feedback, and plan team-building events.