Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms.

The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.

The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.

Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Position Overview

The Legal Administrative Assistant provides comprehensive administrative and operational support to associates, senior members of business support, and the wider legal team. This role serves as a key resource for overflow support to Legal Executive Assistants during periods of high demand, while also fulfilling critical responsibilities in meeting logistics and front of house coverage. The successful candidate will be a highly organized, proactive professional who thrives in a fast-paced legal environment and is committed to delivering exceptional service.

Working Relationships

The Legal Administrative Assistant will report to the Office Manager within the business support function. The role requires close collaboration with Legal Executive Assistants, associates, senior business support staff, facilities teams, and external vendors. The individual will be expected to build strong working relationships across all levels of the organization and to contribute positively to a supportive and efficient team environment.

The Legal Administrative Assistant will provide day-to-day administrative support to associates and senior members of business support across the organization. A central objective of this role is to establish trusted working relationships with associates and business support personnel, enabling them to confidently delegate non-billable administrative tasks and focus on substantive, client-facing work. The Legal Administrative Assistant must demonstrate reliability, discretion, and a proactive approach in order to foster this trust and become an indispensable resource to the teams they support.

Core responsibilities in this area include entering, editing, and managing daily timekeeping entries, as well as supporting the clean-up of diary entries in accordance with client guidelines and transferring time to appropriate matters as necessary. The Legal Administrative Assistant will coordinate travel arrangements, including booking flights, hotels, and ground transportation, and will process invoices and expense reports, reviewing submissions for accuracy, ensuring correct coding, and resolving discrepancies in a timely manner. The role also encompasses managing and coordinating logistics for meetings, events, and special projects, as well as providing general administrative support including photocopying, scanning, filing, and document management.

The Legal Administrative Assistant will collaborate with other departments and team members on various projects and initiatives as assigned, and will assist with managing correspondence, preparing and formatting documents, and maintaining filing systems, both electronic and physical. The role requires the ability to manage competing priorities with professionalism and discretion. 

The Legal Administrative Assistant will provide reliable and responsive overflow support to Legal Executive Assistants during periods of peak activity, staff absences, or other occasions where additional capacity is needed.

The Legal Administrative Assistant will provide hands-on support for larger or high-profile meetings, conferences, and events. This includes assisting with room configuration and set-up to accommodate specific presentation or seating requirements, coordinating enhanced catering arrangements, and overseeing other logistical details to ensure these events run seamlessly.

The Legal Administrative Assistant will provide front of house coverage during breaks, absences, or other periods when primary reception staff are unavailable. This includes greeting and directing visitors, managing incoming calls, coordinating courier and mail deliveries, and ensuring that the reception and common areas are maintained to a professional standard at all times. The individual must present a polished and welcoming demeanor and act as a positive representative of the firm to all visitors and clients.

The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively across multiple tasks and stakeholders. The candidate should demonstrate a flexible and collaborative approach, a willingness to take on varied responsibilities, and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality in all aspects of the role. Prior experience in a legal or professional services environment is strongly preferred.

Minimum of 3 years of administrative experience in a law firm or professional services environment

Experience with legal document preparation, timekeeping systems, and expense management preferred

Prior reception, guest services, or hospitality experience is a plus

Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.

Los Angeles: $69,500 - $100,800

This position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.