Posted Nov 25 Job description
A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.
We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.
Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.
What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.
Department Purpose and Structure
With one of the broadest global networks of any law firm, we have a responsibility to use our expertise and resources to help tackle social injustice around the world. At A&O Shearman, everyone is encouraged to volunteer their time and skills; whether you’re a lawyer or business professional, junior or senior. We approach this not as something separate from our day-to-day work but as something we deliver in the same way, and with the same success, as our fee-earning work.
Out social impact work around the world focuses on core themes of access to justice, education, social mobility and impact finance. We partner with major international charitable organizations as well as local charities closest to the communities where we live and work.
Our social impact work around the world focuses on core themes of access to justice, education, social mobility and impact finance. We partner with major international charitable organizations as well as local charities closest to the communities where we live and work.
Role Purpose
To support the Pro Bono Attorney/Senior Manager, Pro Bono Counsel and Director, Global CSR and Global Head of Social Impact with the coordination and development of A&O Shearman’s Americas pro bono practice, focusing on strategic partnerships with legal services organizations across the Americas and on pro bono matter placement globally including legal pro bono work for A&O Shearman’s global charity partner.
Key Relationships
- Partners and fee earners in the Americas
- Americas Diversity and Inclusion Team
- Americas Media and Marketing Team
- Americas Legal Recruiting Team
- Global Social Impact Team
Pro Bono Matter Scoping and Project Building
- Maintaining and developing relationships with our established pro bono clients in line with A&O Shearman’s commitment to excellence.
- Assisting the Pro Bono Attorney/Senior Manager and Pro Bono Counsel and Director, Global CSR to identify new opportunities to provide impactful pro bono support to, and in partnership with, Americas legal services organizations and their beneficiaries.
- Reviewing and assessing new pro bono requests against our program themes and scoping the legal need.
- Liaising with A&O Shearman in-house lawyers and other stakeholders on regulatory compliance issues and with partner champions where necessary.
- Placing approved legal requests with lawyers and supporting them with operational logistics in the early stages of a new matter.
- Assisting the Pro Bono Attorney/Senior Manager with the development and coordination of large, strategic pro bono projects (both Americas and global), including for our Global Charity Partner.
- Liaising with pro bono volunteers, nonprofit organizations, A&O’s global charity partner and legal services organizations to ensure that all pro bono work is delivered to a high standard.
- Supporting members of the Pro Bono Team to deliver pro bono opportunities in collaboration with commercial clients.
- Maintaining matter placement records and statistics and monitoring and evaluating core projects in the Americas.
- Working with the Partner responsible for clinics and with the Pro Bono Attorney/Senior Manager and Pro Bono Counsel and Director, Global CSR as appropriate, to manage the participation of A&O Shearman lawyers across our range of free legal advice clinics and projects in the US and Americas including Legal Aid Society and National Veterans Legal Services Project.
- Providing end-to-end casework for individual pro bono clients referred by organizations.
- Providing supervision for volunteers participating in clinics as required and arranging and providing high-quality training on key areas of law and risk management procedures to trainees and associates.
- Assisting with and consulting on strategy, coordination and training for our end-to-end casework focused on access to justice for individuals.
- Raise the profile of the probono practice internally and externally to increase awareness, impact and participation.
- Presenting regularly on A&O Shearman's pro bono practice at departmental meetings, the ‘University of’ programme and new joiners.
- Contributing to written communications on A&O Shearman's legal pro bono work when needed, including intranet articles, external pieces on the firm’s external website, the firm's annual review and award applications.
- Assisting the broader Pro Bono Team with internal and external marketing of A&O Shearman pro bono events.
- Representing A&O Shearman’s pro bono legal practice at external events, conferences, training sessions and seminars.
- Lawyer qualified in any US state in good standing with at least two to three years practice experience at a legal services organization or at a law firm in the pro bono practice.
- Direct legal experience advising and acting for low-income individual clients, nonprofit clients or small business clients.
- Experience of working in a law firm or legal services organization in legal capacity required.
- Experience in pro bono work as a volunteer or coordinator.
- Ability to thrive in a busy team.
- Interest in social justice, social welfare, human rights and current affairs.
For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $140,000 - $180,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job-related factors permitted by law.
Equal Employment Opportunity
A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. It is A&O Shearman’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals, without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status or alienage, disability, pregnancy or related medical issue, military or qualified veteran status, familial status, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, gender, including gender identity, gender expression or transition status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and/or sex offenses, sexual and reproductive health decisions, unemployment status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual’s relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at US-HRTransactions@aoshearman.com or call +1 212 610 6300 and ask for HR Transactions.
