Dentons: Pro Bono Manager – deadline 15 April 2023

Dentons are committed to being a firm that positively impacts society, planet and people. An opportunity has arisen to join the Responsible Business Team who are at an exciting point in their journey, finalising renewed ambitions for the firm for the coming years.

This is a unique opportunity for a lawyer to manage Dentons Pro Bono Practice in UKIME.  The firm are looking for someone who is passionate about access to justice, accomplished in overseeing projects and devising impactful programmes.

The Pro Bono Manager will be part of the Responsible Business team, working closely with the Pro Bono & Community Partner sponsors collaborating across our divisions to manage and expand the pro bono practice. The role will focus on fostering good levels of pro bono engagement maximising benefits to pro bono clients and the Firm. The Pro Bono Manager will also work closely with the global pro bono team to identify and manage global pro bono projects. This is a non-practising full time role (the individual will hold a practising certificate).

If you thrive being part of a hardworking and dedicated team, and you are passionate about addressing the environmental, social and economic challenges facing the world, galvanising engagement from colleagues to make a positive impact, this is a great opportunity to work with colleagues to deliver a step-change in the firm’s approach to these issues.

Responsibilities:

• Leading the pro bono practice across our offices in UKIME, setting and implementing a Pro Bono Strategy for the firm.
• Responsible for overall practice management, delivering high quality service to pro bono clients and overseeing our clinics, partnerships and pro bono cases.
• Advising and managing lawyers working on pro bono cases and providing support on issues that arise.
• Overseeing and mentoring our network of champion lawyers that lead pro bono in their offices and practice groups.
• Ensuring risk and compliance measures are followed throughout the practice and considering business risks when taking on new matters.
• Managing the firm’s UKIME pro bono budget.
• Maintaining our key charity relationships and building strategic new ones to address emerging areas of need.
• Developing and overseeing pro bono partnerships with key fee-earning clients.
• Maintaining lawyer volunteer engagement and thinking creatively about increasing participation.
• Delivering internal and external presentations and chairing events on the firm’s pro bono practice.
• Developing our lawyers through training, feedback and know how resources.
• Seeking guidance from senior stakeholders and ensuring our pro bono practice aligns with the firm’s wider objectives.
• Maintaining and building relationships with senior stakeholders globally.
• Working alongside pro bono colleagues in the global pro bono team.

Required experience, skills and attributes:

• Thinks strategically and aligns pro bono practice with priorities of the firm.
• Able to inspire and engage lawyers across the firm.
• Experience of working with vulnerable clients and supporting colleagues in this work.
• Shows good judgment in unexpected challenging situations and confidently addresses issues.
• Ability to have sensitive and difficult conversations with senior stakeholders, lawyers across the firm and clients.
• Strong management skills and ability to supervise, coach and mentor colleagues at all levels.
• Experience interacting with clients, fee-earners and other colleagues at all levels of seniority.
• Commercial awareness with an understanding of broad business considerations.
• Understands how to influence and operate across a global organisation.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Efficient time management skills.
• Resilient and able to cope under pressure.
• Anticipates risks and identifies solutions.

As part of the firm’s program of continued global investment in Dentons people, the firm is switching to a new job application system on February 20th, 2023.

This role may be reposted on February 20th. If so, it will include a note of this reference number: AH1924 to allow you to avoid duplicate applications.

If you have any questions you can read more here https://www.dentons.com/en/careers/careers-in-the-united-kingdom or contact the team at recruitment.matters@dentons.com if you require any assistance.