Professional Development & Training Assistant 2025

Ropes & Gray in a global law firm that operates across 17 time zones and has more than 1,400 lawyers based in the United States, Europe and Asia who collaborate seamlessly to provide clients with high-quality representation in innovative industries that shape the global economy. Our clients include private equity firms, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, financial institutions, mutual funds, hospital systems, and more. Client by client, we’ve built a reputation for first-class work, a pragmatic approach, and impeccable standards of service and ethics. We count many of the world’s most respected companies and institutions as longtime clients, and serve organizations at all stages of development. Clients trust us with their most important matters because they know we understand their businesses and deliver the results they need.

Our deeply rooted culture of teamwork means that our lawyers work closely with colleagues around the world to provide support to clients. This collaborative approach encourages our lawyers to work alongside partners and clients on sophisticated matters. We work as a team to support a range of leading legal practices, including private equity, M&A, capital markets, finance, asset management, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, data, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.

Ropes & Gray London is one of the largest offices in the Ropes & Gray network, and the hub of the firm’s EMEA network and set up in London in 2010. While we are now an established presence in the UK, we’ve retained all the buzz of our start-up years. It makes us a little bit different: it means we have the stature and resources of a major international law firm combined with the pace, inclusivity and career progression of a specialist firm. Our clients like to work with us. We are, of course, always professional, but we are personal, and personable with it. As a group, we’re international, diverse and our team is always professional, but uniquely personable. With around 31 partners, 110+ fee earners and a trainee intake of 13, everybody in the office knows everyone else. That means that every hire we make is an important investment for the firm, because each team member has a distinct role to play in delivering excellent service to our clients.

The department

The Professional Development & Training team is responsible for designing and implementing a large volume of high-quality training and development programmes to Partners, Counsel, Associates, Trainees and the Business Support team across our three European and five Asia offices. Whilst this role is London-based and supports the London-based PD&T Senior Manager, Manager and Senior Specialist, the Assistant will also need to develop and maintain effective working relationships to support colleagues in the wider Global PD&T team.

The Assistant will report to the PD&T Manager. The hours will be 8.30am-5pm Mondays, 8.30am-4.30pm Tuesdays to Thursdays and 8.30am-4pm on Fridays.

The role

Support the London PDT team with all Lawyer Skills training:

• Assist with coordinating training, following processes for generating/sending invitations; scheduling; working with internal and external presenters; generating and distributing attendance sheets and materials; and liaising with others internally (e.g., Conference Services) and externally (e.g., training suppliers).
• Provide live in-room support, trouble shooting any issues that arise including coordinating the response to any technology issues.
• Send out online evaluation forms once training is completed, collating and analysing responses.

Support the London PDT team with all Practice Area Technical and Ethics training:

• Assist with coordinating training (including cross-practice group training), following processes for generating/sending invitations; scheduling; working with internal and external presenters; generating and distributing attendance sheets and materials; and liaising with others internally (e.g., Partners, PSLs, Secretaries, Conference Services) and externally (e.g., training suppliers).
• Provide in-session support (in-room or online as required), trouble shooting any issues that arise including coordinating the response to any technology issues.

Support the London PDT team with all Trainee Practice Area Technical and Skills training:

• Assist with coordinating training, following processes for generating/sending invitations; scheduling; working with internal and external presenters; generating and distributing attendance sheets and materials; and liaising with others internally (e.g., Partners, PSLs, Secretaries, Conference Services) and externally (e.g., training suppliers).
• Provide in-session support (in-room or online as required), trouble shooting any issues that arise including coordinating the response to any technology issues.

Support the London PDT team with all Trainee Supervisor training:

• Assist with coordinating training, following processes for generating/sending invitations; scheduling; working with internal and external presenters; generating and distributing attendance sheets and materials; and liaising with others internally (e.g., Partners, PSLs, Secretaries, Conference Services) and externally (e.g., training suppliers).
• Provide in-session support (in-room or online as required), trouble shooting any issues that arise including coordinating the response to any technology issues.

Support the Global PDT team with Lawyer CLE and CPD:

• Follow best practices when using CE Manager (the LMS system).
• Maintain the Lawyers’ training records in CE Manager and be one of the CE Manager points of contact for Lawyers and their Secretaries. Liaise with the U.S. CLE team regarding CE Manager and CLE credits to ensure that CLE is recorded accurately.
• Support the team on the firm’s compliance with the SRA’s Continuing Competence Regime including communicating directly with all England & Wales qualified Lawyers (regardless of their office location) to achieve compliance in a timely manner by sending reminders and providing email and telephone support.
• Support the Global PD&T team by collating the monthly training metrics.
• Support the London Associate Talent Managers by collating lawyer training records and hours in advance of each review period.

Communications and team administration:

• Maintain and update the relevant PD&T infoNet (the firm’s internal website) pages as directed.
• Co-ordinate communications, including the London Thursday training email, the Asia training update email, and training announcements for the London Bulletin and Paris training.

Qualifications and skills

• Previous law firm or professional services experience is preferable.
• Excellent verbal, written and organizational skills with sharp attention to detail.
• Demonstrates ability to organise, plan and carry out multiple related activities, resulting in a high-quality product. Effectively able to prioritise, be proactive and apply critical thinking with limited supervision.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Windows, SharePoint, Zoom and internet.
• Able to quickly learn and implement new IT systems and tools.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills. Ability to interact effectively and professionally with all levels of personnel, including firm leadership, management and support staff.
• Demonstrates good judgement and an appreciation of the importance of confidentiality in the role.
• Demonstrates flexibility and responds promptly and appropriately to change. Ability to work under tight deadlines and respond calmly to troubleshoot last-minute changes.
• Demonstrates understanding of (or ability to understand) current trends in learning and development in law firms.
• Able to successfully work within a team in a collaborative style and environment; ability to effectively share information, goals, opportunities, successes and failures with the appropriate parties and management team.
• Able to work effectively in a culturally and educationally diverse environment.
• Able to work in a firmwide team in a multi-office environment.

This job description is not exhaustive and the jobholder may be required to undertake additional duties from time to time.