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Legal Business Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Microsoft

Senior Business Development Manager

Redmond, WA · On-site

$137K - $222K/yr

You will structure first-of-kind partnerships, align Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and ... Significant business development, partnerships, or strategic deal-making experience, including ...

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Legal Business Development information

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$36.5K

$85.6K

$149K

How much do legal business development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for legal business development in the United States is $85,602.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $61,000.00 and $100,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How to make $500,000 as a lawyer?

Legal Business Development professionals can increase earnings by building a strong client base, specializing in high-demand practice areas, and developing strategic relationships. Success often depends on experience, reputation, and effective marketing, including networking and leveraging legal technology tools. Achieving a $500,000 income typically requires years of experience and a focus on lucrative legal markets.

What is legal business development?

Legal business development refers to the strategies and activities law firms and legal professionals use to attract new clients, retain existing clients, and grow their legal practices. It often includes networking, client relationship management, marketing, and identifying new business opportunities within the legal industry. Professionals in this role work to align a law firm's expertise with potential clients' needs, helping the firm remain competitive in a rapidly changing legal market.

Do lawyers make $500,000 a year?

Legal business development professionals typically do not earn $500,000 annually, as this level of income is more common among highly experienced lawyers in large firms or specialized roles. Most lawyers and related roles earn lower salaries, with top earners in large firms or corporate positions reaching higher six-figure or seven-figure incomes through bonuses and equity. Salary depends on experience, location, firm size, and practice area.

What is the difference between Legal Business Development vs Legal Marketing?

AspectLegal Business DevelopmentLegal Marketing
Primary FocusBuilding client relationships and expanding legal servicesPromoting the firm’s brand and attracting new clients through campaigns
Required SkillsNetworking, client management, strategic planningAdvertising, content creation, digital marketing
Work EnvironmentClient-facing, strategic meetings, business negotiationsMarketing campaigns, branding events, digital platforms
Common CertificationsBusiness development certifications, legal industry knowledgeMarketing certifications, digital advertising skills

Legal Business Development and Legal Marketing are related but distinct roles within a law firm. Business development focuses on building relationships and expanding client base, while marketing emphasizes promoting the firm’s brand and attracting new clients through campaigns. Both roles require communication skills and industry knowledge but serve different strategic purposes.

What is the 80 20 rule for lawyers?

The 80/20 rule for lawyers suggests that roughly 80% of a firm's revenue often comes from 20% of its clients or cases. Legal business development professionals focus on identifying and nurturing these high-value clients to maximize growth and efficiency.

How does a Legal Business Development professional typically collaborate with attorneys and other departments within a law firm?

Legal Business Development professionals work closely with attorneys to identify new client opportunities, craft targeted proposals, and develop strategic plans for practice growth. They often partner with marketing, communications, and client services teams to coordinate events, produce thought leadership content, and enhance the firm’s visibility. Regular collaboration ensures that business development strategies align with the firm’s goals and that attorneys receive the support needed to deepen client relationships and secure new business.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in Legal Business Development, and why are they important?

To excel in Legal Business Development, expertise in legal services, strong networking abilities, and a background in law or business are essential. Familiarity with client relationship management (CRM) software, market analysis tools, and sometimes certifications in business development or marketing are typically required. Outstanding communication, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills help professionals build trust and foster long-term client relationships. These competencies enable individuals to identify opportunities, drive firm growth, and maintain a competitive edge in the legal industry.

What does business development do in a law firm?

In a law firm, legal business development involves identifying and pursuing new client opportunities, building relationships, and promoting the firm's services. It often includes networking, marketing, and strategic planning to increase the firm's revenue and market presence.
More about Legal Business Development jobs
What cities are hiring for Legal Business Development jobs? Cities with the most Legal Business Development job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Legal Business Development jobs? The most popular types of Legal Business Development jobs are:
What states have the most Legal Business Development jobs? States with the most job openings for Legal Business Development jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Legal Business Development jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Legal Business Development jobs are:
Legal Business Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Legal Business Development job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $85,602 per year, or $41.2 per hour.

Strategic Legal Business Development Operations Manager

McGuireWoods LLP

Manhattan, NY • On-site

$119K - $182K/yr

Full-time

Posted 26 days ago

McGuireWoods rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

21st of 34 rated law firms

Job description

Overview
McGuireWoods has an opportunity for a highly organized and business development operationally minded professional to join its Business Development team as a Manager, Strategic BD Operations. This role is integral to the successful execution of the firm's Practice Group Program - a firm-wide initiative across practice groups designed to sharpen competitive positioning, build market-facing infrastructure, and accelerate business development.
Reporting to the Director of Strategic BD Operations, the Manager is an essential operational partner responsible for executing the systems, processes, and standards that enable practice groups to pursue clear, measurable, market-facing goals and ensuring that the program's operational infrastructure functions with consistency and discipline across the portfolio.
This position may be based in our Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, New York or Washington, D.C. offices.
McGuireWoods, one of the world's leading law firms, has provided legal solutions to corporate, individual and nonprofit clients since 1834. Along with excellent benefits, McGuireWoods offers most employees a hybrid remote option allowing flexibility and work-life balance. Our Applicant Disclosures describe your rights. Our Privacy Statement describes how we will process and safeguard your personal data.
Responsibilities
Practice Group Program Operations
  • Serve as the primary operational liaison between assigned Practice Group Co-Leaders and the Marketing & BD department, facilitating go-to-market strategy, client targeting, and annual SMART goal development.
  • Coordinate and maintain all program infrastructure, including the Practice Group Playbook, onboarding sequences for new co-leaders, and SMART goal tracking across the portfolio.
  • Manage scheduling, preparation, and documentation for annual practice group check-ins, Advisory Committee sessions, and GTM Refresh Workshops.
  • Working in collaboration with BD Leads, coordinate new partner and lateral integration into relevant practice groups within established timelines.
  • Support BD Lead continuity by maintaining documented transition protocols and active goal summaries when Practice Group assignments change.
  • Manage overlap across practice groups with shared client targets, ensuring messaging consistency and coordinated outreach.

Business Development Infrastructure & Operational Excellence
  • Execute against defined standard operating procedures for pursuits, RFPs, pitches, experience management, and cross-selling workflows across the firm's practice group portfolio.
  • Support adoption of CRM/ERM tools among Practice Group Co-Leaders, attorneys and BD Leads through training, troubleshooting, and ongoing guidance - ensuring contact records, matter experience, and pipeline activity are current, accurate, and accessible to attorneys and BD teams.
  • Apply and uphold quality standards and messaging frameworks established by the Director for RFPs, pitches, and pursuit materials - ensuring consistency, differentiation, and alignment with practice group positioning.
  • Identify process gaps and recommend improvements to the Director; contribute to the ongoing standardization of tools, templates, and workflows across the department.

Performance Tracking & Reporting
  • Monitor KPIs for assigned practice groups tied to SMART goal progress, pipeline activity, cross-selling outcomes, and business development engagement.
  • Maintain accurate, real-time tracking of BD activity across the portfolio, providing the Director with the data needed for advisory committee sessions and the annual impact report.
  • Build and maintain practice group performance summaries, supporting a consistent and data-informed view of where groups are succeeding and where course corrections are needed.
  • Track and report on legal directory and rankings submission status, thought leadership placements, event participation, and other market-facing activities.
  • Coordinate with MarTech and analytics resources to surface relevant reporting and ensure dashboards reflect current practice group data.

Marketing & Brand Integration
  • Maintain and update practice group web content in coordination with the BD and Communications teams, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with current positioning.
  • Collaborate with marketing leadership to align practice group campaigns and promotional content with revenue priorities and market positioning strategy.
  • Support internal firm communication efforts, including quarterly practice group highlights distributed through the firm Portal.

Team Leadership & Capability Development
  • Serve as a day-to-day mentor and resource to junior BD colleagues supporting practice group activity.
  • Support the Director in delivering structured onboarding and capability-building programming for Practice Group Co-Leaders, including GTM workshops, peer cohort sessions, and annual refresh workshops.
  • Contribute to a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement within the BD department.

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree required; four or more years of business development and/or marketing experience within a law firm or comparable professional services organization.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting or managing structured programs at scale, with the ability to maintain consistency and quality across multiple concurrent work streams.
  • Strong command of business development operational standards, including RFP and pitch processes, experience management, CRM/ERM data governance, and pursuit workflows.
  • Proven project management skills, including planning and executing conferences, events, cross-functional initiatives, and complex proposal responses.
  • Highly organized and detail-oriented; able to balance competing priorities, make sound decisions independently, and adapt to shifting demands in a fast-paced environment.
  • Collaborative and relationship-oriented; comfortable working across departmental and geographic lines to facilitate strategy, coordinate deliverables, and drive results.
  • Strategic thinker with an understanding of market positioning, messaging consistency, and competitive differentiation in a professional services context.
  • Self-starter with the discipline to translate long-term strategic priorities into structured, day-to-day execution without close supervision.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop polished deliverables including business plans, pitch materials, marketing collateral, and thought leadership content.
  • Experience with Foundation or comparable knowledge management and CRM platforms is preferred.
  • Technology-savvy; proficient in relevant software and eager to learn and adopt new tools. McGuireWoods employees have access to Harvey, a legal-specific AI platform that reduces time spent on routine tasks and enables focus on higher-impact work.
  • Willingness and desire to work with innovative technology platforms - our employees also have access to Harvey, a legal-specific AI tool that reduces time spent on routine tasks, allowing you to focus on more meaningful, high-impact work.

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