Specialist, Professional Development

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 Specialist, Professional Development supports firmwide attorney integration and professional development initiatives, with a primary focus on non-partner attorney onboarding, orientation, integration, mentor programs, and related training efforts. Working closely with the Manager of Attorney Integration, Director of Professional Development, Professional Development Managers, practice group leaders, office leadership, and other business professionals, this role helps ensure new hire attorneys experience a smooth, comprehensive, and strategically aligned integration into the firm, their office, and their practice group. This position is responsible for independently coordinating key aspects of the attorney integration lifecycle, including developing customized integration plans, managing integration touchpoints, facilitating attorney connections, coordinating training resources, supporting New Associate Orientation, and providing updates and recommendations to stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have experience in attorney professional development, talent development, human resources, or a related function within a law firm or professional services environment. Success in this role requires strong project management skills, excellent judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering exceptional client service to attorneys, firm leadership, and internal business teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain tracking for all newly hired attorneys and patent professionals in Asana, including mapping first-year integration timelines, key milestones, and follow-up touchpoints.
• Develop customized integration plans for lateral attorneys and patent professionals, tailoring each plan to include appropriate integration video modules, substantive training resources, office and practice group connections, and other relevant onboarding support.
• Partner with stakeholders involved in the hiring and onboarding process, including practice group leaders, office leadership, recruiting, professional development, and other administrative departments, to gather feedback and incorporate relevant input into integration plans.
• Independently conduct 1:1 meetings with laterals to review integration plans, identify individual needs, and connect new attorneys with appropriate firm resources.
• Monitor attorney integration progress during the first year and conduct three- and six-month integration check-in calls with lateral hires; identify trends, concerns, or resource gaps and escalate or follow up as appropriate by distributing integration summaries and updates to relevant leadership/integration teams.
• Oversee the firm’s Foley Bound program, including sharing resources with eligible attorneys, managing the proposal process with department leadership, tracking participation, and gathering feedback to ensure ongoing success.
• Customize substantive training learning paths for attorneys and patent professionals based on level, practice group, and individual integration needs using Foley Academy LMS.
• Coordinate and support the execution of firmwide attorney integration initiatives, including preparation of lateral hiring announcements, scheduling internal connections, facilitating introductions, and helping ensure attorneys relate to key contacts across offices, departments, and practice groups.
• Organize connections and/or roadshow visits for partner-level laterals to support their integration into the firm with the Manager of Integration.
• Plan and execute the New Associate Orientation program, including agenda development, event coordination, presentation preparation, handouts and materials, rosters, communications with new associates, and coordination with office-level support teams.
• Interface with administrative departments to review, maintain, and update the firm’s virtual library of integration-related training resources on an annual basis.
• Facilitate integration surveys as needed; analyze feedback and assist in identifying opportunities to enhance attorney onboarding and integration programming.
• Provide metrics, reports, and updates on attorney integration, orientation efforts, training participation, and related professional development initiatives as needed.
• Assist the Director of Professional Development, Manager of Attorney Integration, and Professional Development Managers with training, projects, and other professional development initiatives as assigned.
• Manage multiple, competing priorities and projects while delivering high-quality work product and client service to attorneys, firm leadership, and internal stakeholders.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional development, recruiting, talent development, human resources, legal talent, business development, or related experience required.
• Law firm, professional services, or other client-service-oriented corporate environment experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting attorney onboarding, integration, orientation, mentoring, training, or professional development programs preferred.
• Previous experience with Asana, ViGlobal, Chrome River, SharePoint, NetDocuments, learning management systems, applicant tracking or talent management systems, or equivalent platforms preferred.
  
  

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.

• Milwaukee, $77,500 to $108,500
• Chicago, Dallas, Denver - $85,300 to $119,400
• Washington D.C. - $93,000 to $130,200
  
  

Foley offers a comprehensive benefit program which currently includes Paid Time Off; Paid Holidays; Medical, Dental and Vision insurance; 401(k) Retirement; Disability and Life insurance; Adoption Assistance; Backup Care for Dependents.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer/M/F/Vet/Disabled.

About Foley & Lardner

Foley is an Am Law 50 law firm consistently ranked among top-tier practices. With over 1,100 lawyers in 26 offices across the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, our market-leading platform includes Corporate, Intellectual Property, and Litigation. Adding depth to our bench strength, we focus on four primary sectors: Energy, Health Care & Life Sciences, Innovative Technology, and Manufacturing. We look beyond the law to focus on the constantly evolving demands facing our clients and act as trusted business advisors to deliver creative, practical, and effective solutions.

For nearly two centuries, Foley has maintained its commitment to the highest level of innovative legal services and to the stewardship of our people, firm, clients, and the communities we serve. While respecting our roots, we’re also continuously looking to modernize all aspects of our business and elevate who we are and what we do, which keeps us focused on the future.