Manager, Professional Development

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 Manager of Professional Development plays a pivotal role in shaping the growth and success of the firm’s attorneys by designing and implementing innovative, high-impact training programs. Partnering closely with the Senior Manager, Director of Professional Development, and firm leadership, this role focuses on tailoring legal skills training to the unique needs of each practice group. From dynamic in-person workshops to interactive virtual courses leveraging internal and external resources, the Manager ensures that training programs are engaging, effective, and aligned with the firm’s strategic goals. This position also serves as a key communicator, maintaining clear and consistent messaging about training opportunities and expectations across the attorney community.

• Lead and oversee firmwide legal skills training initiatives across all three Law Departments.
• Partner with Practice Group and Department leadership to design and implement tailored legal skills curricula that meet the unique needs of each practice area and attorney tenure, such as the first-year litigation associate series or advanced transactional mid-level programs.
• Collaborate with Professional Development leadership to identify and address gaps in the existing training curriculum.
• Consult with experts in adult learning principles to incorporate best practices into the delivery of internal training programs.
• Support the implementation of competency models and curriculum guides that establish clear performance benchmarks and expectations for associates and senior counsel.
• Develop and execute communications strategies to promote training programs, improve accessibility, and solicit ideas for enhancement.
• Design methods and tools to track and report attorneys’ progress through the legal skills curriculum.
• Gather and analyze feedback through surveys, assessments, and pilot programs to continually refine and improve training offerings.
• Collaborate with the Professional Development Specialist and Coordinator to ensure the seamless execution and delivery of the legal skills curriculum.
• Ensure legal skills programming aligns with continuing legal education (CLE) best practices to facilitate accreditation when applicable.
• Maintain working proficiency with the Learning Management System (LMS) to support the administration and tracking of training programs.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and innovative tools to propose enhancements that improve the attorney development experience.
• Build strong relationships with attorneys and business professionals to maximize the impact of the Professional Development team’s expertise and resources.
• Research and integrate best practices, new concepts, and techniques to elevate the current training curriculum.

• Bachelor's Degree required, JD strongly preferred. #LI-hybrid 
• Minimum of seven (7) years of legal practice in a large law firm and/or experience working in professional development or training, preferably in a law firm or professional services firm required.

Pursuant to the Illinois Equity Pay Act the salary range for this Chicago based position is between $124,800 - $187,200. Pursuant to the Washington DC Pay Transparency Law, salary range for this DC based position is between $135,800 - $203,700. These figures represent the full compensation range of this position. The actual offered amount will be determined based on the following factors: education, experience, geographic market, and internal pay equity at Foley.