Senior Practice Support Project Manager

New York, NY or Washington, DC

Summary

Provides expert-level management of multiple concurrent litigation projects throughout the electronic discovery lifecycle. Consults with case teams and clients on all aspects of the electronic discovery process. Primarily responsible for assisting litigation teams to plan, organize and handle their cases in a cost-effective and efficient manner using appropriate technology options. Coordinates integration of practice support technology for attorneys and paralegals; works directly with case teams to define discovery requirements, engage vendors, prepare discovery budgets, and organize and manage the handling of electronically stored information throughout the course of litigation matters. Assists legal teams with the application of technology across various practice group projects.

Duties and Responsibilities
Primary
•    Provide e-discovery consulting expertise and project management for legal teams and clients; provide guidance on strategic and technical issues relating to all aspects of discovery including: scoping and budgeting of e-discovery projects, coordination of data collection efforts, documenting data processing and production instructions, monitoring risk issues within the discovery process, implementing database review processes and procedures, and providing information regarding current federal/state rules and case law precedents specifically relating to e-discovery issues; handle overall project management issues (e.g., discovery analytics, data sampling, technology search options, vendor management and budget issues, etc.).
•    Oversee and manage litigation support vendors engaged for outsourced projects; manage timelines; negotiate contracts and fees; review vendor invoices for accuracy and negotiate adjustments when needed; prepare data processing specifications and other vendor instructions; provide quality control of deliverables.  Ensure that scope and volume of work follows original Statements of Work and ensure that changes impacting costs/budget are communicated to case teams and approved by clients.
•    Work with Director of Practice Support to create, modify and improve best practices and workflow procedures for the department; assist with developing litigation/practice support processes, including preparation of related documentation for intake procedures, data management and other related procedures.
•    Collaborate with the Director of Practice Support to manage, lead, motivate and develop PSG team members. Provide guidance and support for PSG personnel, including training on litigation support software and direction on data protocol or other procedures; assisting PSG personnel with troubleshooting problems with litigation support software, data loads or other technical issues.  Work closely with Director of Practice Support and other PSG project managers to ensure that policies, programs and processes are developed, implemented and communicated to staff.
•    Serve as a liaison between IT, legal teams, and eDiscovery vendors to ensure that case goals and objectives are achieved with high efficiency and minimal risk; maintain open communication with case teams and vendors; provide quality control for all vendor work product.
•    Conduct research and evaluate practice support software and web-hosted practice support vendors in order to make recommendations on the best technology options for the firm and for specific projects.
•    Provide end-user training and support for various litigation support or practice support technology and tools (both internal and externally-hosted), as required.
•    Stay current on the rapidly changing technology developments relating to litigation support and the rapidly changing case law, rules and statutes impacting electronic discovery, both domestically and internationally.

Secondary
•    Work with the Director of Practice Support to prepare the annual staff plan and budget for the department, monitor and control expenses and explain variances in the budget.
•    Performs additional duties and responsibilities as may be assigned. 

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree or related equivalent experience; Certifications preferred: Relativity Certifications (Administration, Processing, Certified Users), ACEDS, PMP. 

Experience     

Five years’ experience in electronic discovery project management at a law firm or litigation technology vendor. Three years supervisory experience.

Special Knowledge  

Position requires high-level knowledge of the litigation process, all phases of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model and the use of technology to support litigation, e-discovery, and other practice group projects. 

Technical Skills     

High level of experience with various web-hosted litigation support applications (RelativityOne, Logikcull, and similar); high level of experience with data analytics tools and applications; expert-level knowledge of Relativity, Lexis CaseSoft Suite (CaseMap, TextMap, TimeMap), Adobe Acrobat/Nuance, MS Office and Office 365.  Experience with trial presentation software (OnCue, Sanction, Trial Director or similar). 

Attributes    

Strong supervisory, teamwork, organizational and project management skills.  Ability to communicate well and deal effectively with all levels of firm personnel at varying levels of technical ability.  Strong collaboration and influencing skills. Ability to effectively translate eDiscovery and technical information about environments, tools and controls to case teams in layman’s terms so that they are able to understand. Ability to work in a fast-paced, demanding environment, be flexible and adaptable, relate to user problems and maintain a calm demeanor. Excellent client relationship skills which include the ability to proactively manage client expectations, recognize client needs and adapt company capabilities to consistently meet client requirements (for both internal and external clients).  A solid understanding of database design and management, data processing activities, and legal document review requirements. Excellent written, verbal, listening, analytical, negotiation and presentation skills.  Ability to work on multiple concurrent projects and tasks effectively and to identify priorities and focus for constantly shifting demands. Strong sense of accountability, taking ownership over projects and responsibilities, and resolving issues proactively with minimal supervision.

Other Qualifications

Ability to handle sensitive and/or confidential documents and see projects through to completion in a timely manner. Ability to think critically and to proactively identify potential problems and impending issues.

Working Conditions
•    Job requires flexibility with hours and work during non-traditional business hours when case deadlines demand.
•    This job has been identified as one that is eligible to work from home. The Firm provides technical equipment and support as well as reimbursements for teleworking employees.
•    Travel to the office as needed.
•    Travel to other office locations as needed.
•    Job is subject to time pressures and constraints.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications and skills required of personnel so classified. The firm reserves the right to revise or modify this job description at any time.