Legal Administrative Assistant

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

Under the guidance of the Project Lead, the Legal Administrative Assistant provides comprehensive administrative and program coordination support for various initiatives within the department. This role serves as the primary operational liaison between the Organizational Effectiveness leadership team, external coaching vendors, practice group leaders, and firm administrative departments. Key responsibilities include managing vendor invoicing and budget tracking, coordinating high-volume scheduling across multiple geographies, maintaining program tracking systems, and serving as the go-to resource for all firm contacts and initiative roll-out logistics.

Responsibilities

Vendor & Budget Management

Submits all vendor invoices and ensures timely processing turnaround

Maintains budget tracking systems for departmental programs

Initiates the vendor onboarding process for all external vendors

Processes all external contracts and invoices related to departmental initiatives

Scheduling & Meeting Coordination

Coordinates same-day meetings regarding time-sensitive issues

Schedules orientations, briefings, and onboarding sessions for external vendors and coaches

Schedules collaboration meetings with partners across all geographies and leadership to discuss initiatives

Facilitates meeting scheduling between leadership, associates, staff members, and external participants

Coordinates logistics for recurring program series

Proofreading email communications

Scheduling virtual meetings and coordinating transcription

Providing instructions to guest speakers and scheduling preparatory calls

Overseeing recording and distribution of session materials

Program Tracking & Data Management

Maintains tracking systems for all departmental programs and initiatives

Manages project management tools (e.g., SmartSheet), including training and data retrieval

Collects and maintains reference libraries and contact databases for external vendors and coaches

Updates program rosters and lists with relevant and current information

Analyzes practice group data, including associate hours analysis, in preparation for meetings

Transcribes meeting notes to contribute to broader messaging and reporting

Lateral Partner & New Partner Integration

Consults with internal contacts regarding lateral partner sponsors and integration planning

Maintains firm tracking systems with sponsor and onboarding information

Schedules coaching onboarding sessions and introductory meetings for new and lateral partners

Coordinates with relevant departments to ensure coaching involvement in integration planning

Cross-Departmental Liaison

Serves as the primary point of contact for all leadership inquiries regarding firm contacts and initiative roll-out

Interfaces with Knowledge Management, Client/Business Development, Executive Assistants, Billing, and other firm departments as needed

Coordinates scheduling and communications for external coaches, partners, counsel, associates, and internal team members

Qualifications

College degree or equivalent

Expert proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) applications

Proficiency with SmartSheet or comparable project management software

Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to seamlessly perform and prioritize multiple tasks with excellent attention to detail

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with internal and external lawyers, coaches, staff, and clients

Expert communication skills, both written and verbal

Demonstrated ability to manage high-volume scheduling and vendor coordination

Proactive approach to problem-solving and strong decision-making capability

Experience with budget tracking, invoice processing, and vendor management

Experience working in a law firm, professional services organization, or customer service capacity

Compensation and Total Rewards Package

Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.

New York: $75,800 - $109,950

Working Conditions

This position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.