Junior Paralegal

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we are united in our ambition and drive to move forward. We share core values that help us achieve excellence: collaboration, talent empowerment, service, inclusion, respect and gratitude. Our people are our greatest asset, and we invest in the brightest talent and encourage a diversity of perspectives and strengths to create dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of their field. Our talented professionals show up every day knowing they will engage in meaningful work, continuous learning and professional development.
 
As one of the world’s leading law firms, we serve a broad range of clients with market-leading practices in private equity, M&A and other complex corporate transactions; investment fund formation and management; restructurings; high-stakes litigation and trials; and government, regulatory and internal investigations. We handle the most complicated and sophisticated legal matters because we don’t just meet industry standards, we create them. We bring innovation and entrepreneurialism to every engagement and, as a result, have long-standing client relationships with leading global corporations and financial sponsors. With 6,500 employees (including 3,000+ lawyers) operating from 18 offices across the United States, Europe and Asia, we are one of the largest law firms in the world and a top financial performer.

Essential Job Functions

The Washington D.C. office of Kirkland & Ellis is seeking a Paralegal to support our ESG & Impact practice, a rapidly growing practice with the broad mandate to integrate ESG and impact considerations into all aspects of Kirkland’s legal practice for private fund sponsor and public company clients. 

Essential Functions

• ESG Research.  Conduct database searches and other ESG research in support of a variety of matters for fund sponsor and public company clients, such as ESG due diligence on transactions and public company ESG benchmarking.  The ideal candidate will master using the research tools to which we have access—including LexisNexis, WestLaw, S&P Capital IQ Pro, Preqin, and Intelligize—as well as searching publicly available information, to find relevant ESG data, and be able not only to perform assigned research tasks but also suggest avenues of additional research appropriate to the particular matter.
• Information and Document Review, Management, and Presentation.  Review ESG information and documents and organize to facilitate analysis by attorneys and clients, including through preparation of written summaries, PowerPoint presentations, and indices and creation of DMS and other filing systems.
• Support of Client Teams.  Assist with organizing, tracking, and advising partners on work streams for key clients of the practice, in order to ensure all tasks are completed consistently and on time.
• Practice Support and Other Tasks.  Following completion of matters, assist with identifying/preparing, collating, and redacting scopes of work, deliverables, and other key documents that should be included in the practice group’s precedent files.  Collaborate as needed on other practice development initiatives with the ESG & Impact attorneys and business development team.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• ESG or sustainability research, and/or other relevant experience preferred
• Knowledge of ESG data, trends and risk management is preferred, as is familiarity with ESG rating agencies and data vendors (e.g. Bloomberg, Sustainalytics, MSCI, ISS) and ESG and sustainability standards and frameworks (e.g. SASB, TCFD, UNPRI).
• Proficiency in the use of software, including the research tools noted above as well as the Microsoft Office Suite (including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote)

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP.  To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Closing Statement

The www.kirkland.com job postings and recruiting mailbox are for candidates only. If you are a recruiter, search firm or employment agency, and do not have a signed contract with Kirkland & Ellis LLP ("K&E") and have not been asked specifically to submit candidates, you will not be compensated in any way for your referral of a candidate even if K&E hires the candidate. Direct contact with K&E employees in an attempt to present candidates is inappropriate and will be a factor in determining any future professional relationship with the Firm. #LI-Hybrid