GMKE is looking for qualified candidates to serve as its Director fo Training and Development for Attorneys. The Director of Training & Development is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing the firm’s training and professional development strategy for attorneys. This role ensures continuous learning, supports career progression, enhances legal and business skills, and aligns training initiatives with the firm’s goals.
This role will handle a small caseload of active litigation files and have a reduced billable hour requirement of 750 hours per year. The ideal candidate is someone with a passion for training and developing attorneys who would like to shift their primary practice focus away from active litigation.
Who We Are
Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser and Eidex is a premier civil defense firm in the Southeast building the future of insurance defense to ensure the best outcome for every carrier and every insured, in every case. We are committed to the professional development and proper training of all of our attorneys and this role is critical in that process.
Responsibilities
• Execute our firm-wide training and development strategy, identify current and future skill gaps across legal and administrative teams, perform file audits with feedback to individuals and teams.
• Design and manage associate training programs (including but not limited to: ensuring onboarding is efficient, effective and consistent across teams, day one/week one shoulder to shoulder training on systems, billing, firm operations, coordinating ongoing CLE programming firm wide (GA, AL, TN), coordinating refresher & advanced training.
• Develop curriculum for legal, technical, and soft skills (communication, leadership, client service).
• Serve as subject matter expert and provide training on practice related systems (case management/billing software and other firm systems).
• Coordinate internal and external training resources, including vendors and consultants.
• Ensure compliance with Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements.
• Provide regular case audit data to partners and senior associates.
• Digest Appellate Court Rulings in the states where GMKE operates and create a monthly summary to disseminate firm wide.
• Coordinating Law Clerk On Campus Interviews at key schools as identified by the firm
Manage and oversee the summer law clerk program.
• Occasionally travel to other GMKE offices for onboarding and/or in person training.
• Manage a small litigation caseload and meet a 750 annual billable hour requirement.
• Temporarily manage a caseload in the occasional circumstance when an attorney leaves and there is a gap before their replacement starts.
Qualifications
• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and a license to practice law in one of the states where GMKE Operates (GA, AL, TN) with insurance defense experience.
• 5-7 years training, management, supervision or development experience.
• Strong understanding of legal industry structure, firm operations and attorney career progression
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills along with leadership and project management skills.
• Experience designing leadership development and learning programs.
• Resourceful, proactive, and self-sufficient in problem-solving—able to anticipate needs, seek out solutions, and take initiative without waiting for direction.
• Values-driven, with a natural commitment to integrity and accountability, a strong alignment with GMKE’s core values, and a willingness to engage in and contribute to firm culture.
• Willingness to take ownership of cases, engage in courtroom advocacy, and develop trial experience.
• Familiarity with case management software and willingness to become subject matter expert on Firm Systems (Practice Master, Tabs, NetDocs, etc.) and Billing practices.
• Familiarity with industry billing standards and willingness to become subject matter expert on best billing practices.
Diversity At GMKE
GMKE is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees, fully complying with state, federal, and local laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law. We strive to build a team that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve, recognizing that varied perspectives and experiences enhance both our workplace and our approach to client needs.