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Legal Project Management Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

EchoStar

Legal Project Specialist II

El Segundo, CA · On-site

$88K - $119K/yr

... Legal Project Specialist to support operations across multiple business units and directly ... This role addresses the challenges of managing administrative, clerical, and research support ...

TEEMA

Legal Secretary

San Diego, CA · On-site

$100K - $120K/yr

Ability to monitor and report on legal project progress effectively. * Experience with legal research methodologies and tools. * Experience in scheduling and calendar management for legal staff. What ...

Lennar

Sr. Manager, Legal Technology

Irvine, CA

The ideal candidate brings a combination of legal technology expertise, project and program ... Support change management activities for system rollouts - communications, stakeholder readiness ...

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All JobsLegal Project Management JobsLegal Project Management Jobs in California

Legal Project Management information

See California salary details

$44.4K

$125K

$190K

How much do legal project management jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for legal project management in California is $125,028.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,100.00 and $157,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Legal Project Management vs Legal Assistant?

AspectLegal Project ManagementLegal Assistant
Primary RoleOversees legal projects, manages timelines, budgets, and resourcesSupports attorneys with administrative and clerical tasks
Skills & CertificationsLegal project management certifications, organizational skillsLegal secretarial or administrative certifications, familiarity with legal procedures
Work EnvironmentLegal firms, corporate legal departments, law project teamsLaw offices, courts, legal departments
FocusProject delivery, process improvement, efficiencyDocument preparation, scheduling, client communication

Legal Project Management professionals focus on managing legal projects, timelines, and resources to improve efficiency. Legal Assistants support attorneys with administrative tasks. While both roles work within legal environments, Legal Project Managers handle project coordination, whereas Legal Assistants handle clerical duties. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a legal project manager, and why are they important?

To excel as a Legal Project Manager, you need a strong understanding of legal processes, project management methodologies, and often a background in law or a related field. Familiarity with project management software (such as MS Project or Legal Tracker), legal research tools, and certifications like PMP or PRINCE2 are highly valuable. Outstanding organizational skills, clear communication, and the ability to manage stakeholders and competing priorities set top performers apart. These competencies are crucial for ensuring legal projects are delivered efficiently, on time, and within budget while meeting compliance and client expectations.

What is legal project management?

Legal project management (LPM) is the application of project management principles and practices to the delivery of legal services. It involves planning, executing, monitoring, and closing legal matters more efficiently and cost-effectively. LPM aims to improve communication, manage risks, control costs, and enhance client satisfaction by bringing structure and predictability to legal work. Legal project managers work closely with attorneys, clients, and support staff to ensure that projects stay on track and meet their objectives.

How does a legal project manager typically collaborate with attorneys and other stakeholders throughout a project?

Legal Project Managers play a central role in coordinating communication among attorneys, clients, and support staff to ensure that legal matters progress efficiently. They facilitate regular status meetings, set timelines, and manage resources to keep everyone aligned with the project's goals. By serving as the main point of contact for updates and issue resolution, they help mitigate risks and ensure that deliverables are met on schedule and within budget. This collaborative environment requires strong organizational and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to adapt to the dynamic needs of both legal teams and clients.
What are popular job titles related to Legal Project Management jobs in California? For Legal Project Management jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Legal Project Management jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Legal Project Management jobs in California are:
Legal Project Management jobs near you
Infographic showing various Legal Project Management job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,028 per year, or $60.1 per hour.

Senior Manager, Legal Project Management

Goodwin

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

Join Goodwin's Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world's most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team - all business professionals at the firm - you'll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.
Here, we're not just supporting a law firm; we're partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we're proud to have been recognised as the "Best Business Team" by The American Lawyer.
This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers.

As Senior Manager, Legal Project Management you will partner directly with partners and fee earners across assigned practice groups and sectors to drive matter delivery, commercial discipline, and client transparency - working closely with the Head of LPM and the broader Client Value & Pricing team to embed LPM into the fabric of how Goodwin delivers work.

What You Will Do:

Strategic Partnership

  • Build trusted advisory relationships with partners and senior associates, engaging at matter inception to shape scope, resourcing, risk mitigation, and fee structures.

  • Collaborate with the Pricing team to deliver integrated pricing and project management solutions.

  • Act as strategic partner to new business development, supporting client pitches, fee discussions, and acting as a voice of innovation and commercial rigor.

Matter Delivery & Commercial Discipline

  • Lead end-to-end LPM support on complex, high-value matters, ensuring that work is delivered within scope, on budget, on time, while protecting matter profitability.

  • Ensuring that matters are reviewed on completion to ensure capture of lessons and best practice.

  • Drive commercial conversations around scope change, budget risk, and profitability, proactively identifying and addressing commercial issues before they escalate further.

  • Develop and maintain matter plans, budgets, and resource trackers that provide partners and clients with real-time visibility of matter health.

Client Engagement

  • Build direct client relationships with clients, supporting transparent communication on matter progress, budget status, and delivery timelines.

  • Develop and utilize real-time dashboards to support client transparency and risk management.

  • Articulate Goodwin's delivery performance in client-friendly terms through value reports and post-engagement reviews.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

  • Champion the adoption of AI, automation, and data tools to transform matter planning, tracking, and reporting.

  • Contribute to predictive budgeting models and data-driven tools that improve matter forecasting accuracy.

  • Embed design thinking and process improvement into how matters are scoped and managed, buildingscalable templates and workflows.

Building the Function

  • As one of the first hires in a new function, you will help create the LPM operating model, toolkit, and ways of working - building intellectual capital that will scale across the firm.

  • Develop frameworks, playbooks, and training materials that will form the backbone of the function's operating model.

  • Mentor junior team members as the function grows, modelling excellence and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.

Who You Are:

  • 5+ years' experience in legal project management, legal operations, or a related role within a law firm, in-house legal team, or professional services environment.

  • Demonstrated track record of embedding LPM in a nascent environment, e.g. where partners have not previously used LPM.

  • Exposure to design thinking, Lean, Agile, or Six Sigma methodologies.

  • Prior involvement in training, coaching, or change management initiatives.

  • PMP,PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification.

  • Expertise in the fundamentals of project management and change leadership.

  • Strong commercial mindset with deep expertise inAFAs, matter budgeting, profitability analysis and commercial risk management.

  • Strong analytical and financial acumen. Comfortable interrogating data, building models, and making commercial recommendations.

  • Hands-on experience with legal tech platforms (e.g. workflow automation, collaboration, matter management, BI/reporting tools) and a genuine curiosity about AI and emerging tech.

  • Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility with senior partners and demanding clients.

  • Ability to set a vision and bring others on the journey.

#LI- TV1

Benefits and More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance

  • Life and disability insurance

  • Retirement & Savings Plan

  • Emergency back-up child and adult care

  • Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays

  • Professional development and career advancement opportunities

  • Employee recognition and reward programs

  • Employee wellness and assistance programs

  • Employee discounts and perks


This position is eligible for overtime: NoThe Target Salary Range For This Position Varies By Location And Is Commensurate With Relevant Experience: Up To $200,000.00

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