Legal Human Resources Assistant

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have fourteen offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations. The firm employs approximately 1,100 lawyers from more than fifty countries.

Since 1946, our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.

As a member of the Legal Human Resources team, the Legal Human Resources Assistant will respond to a high volume of day-to-day HR-related matters and requests while supporting the overall objectives of the team. This individual will be responsible for assisting with daily human resources matters and functions for the associates in the New York and California offices, often under time-sensitive conditions requiring quick and accurate responses.

• Organize the onboarding process for the fall associate class, summer associate program, and new lateral associate hires. This includes, but is not limited to: communicating with new hires, coordinating and processing new hire paperwork and orientation schedules, initiating and reviewing background checks, processing salary advance loans, conducting HR orientation sessions, providing information on firm policies and procedures, serving as a point of contact throughout the transition into the firm, and collaborating with the Attorney Development and Recruiting teams as well as other internal departments regarding arrivals (including, but not limited to, payroll, benefits, office operations, and HRIS).
• Coordinate the departure process for all associates, which includes: communicating with departing associates, maintaining and processing departure paperwork, and liaising with various internal departments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for associates, promptly and calmly responding to a high volume of questions or concerns by providing relevant and accurate information and directing inquiries to appropriate firm resources.
• Manage data entry and administration in Workday, ensuring accurate reporting of all HR activities, including new hires, terminations, transfers, and leaves of absence.
• Conduct semi-annual Workday testing in collaboration with the HRIS team.
• Coordinate various human resources matters requiring quick turnaround, such as completing employment verification requests, managing and updating personnel files, and tracking attorney bar admissions.
• Provide administrative support for immigration-related processes, including maintaining and updating visa and work authorization records.
• Assist the Legal HR team with ad hoc projects as needed, including reports, data requests, and surveys.
• Provide general HR support for associates, responding promptly to requests as they arise.
• Assist with year-end compensation processes as needed.
• Maintain and update the office manual and internal Cleary360 page to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Ensure compliance with firm policies and HR best practices, while staying current on changes to employment laws.

• Bachelor's degree required.
• One year of HR experience in a fast-paced environment required; experience in a law firm or other financial or legal setting strongly preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, client service, written, and verbal communication skills, along with strong problem-solving abilities and the ability to think quickly under pressure.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, remains calm under pressure, and has exceptional organizational skills and a keen attention to detail while managing competing, time-sensitive requests.
• Capable of multitasking and prioritizing a high volume of urgent responsibilities and shifting deadlines.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Proactive and enthusiastic team player who thrives in a dynamic, reactive environment.
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with Workday is a plus.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $65,000 to $75,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This role is non-exempt meaning that it is overtime pay eligible.

Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their position, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the Firm.

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