Senior Associate
15 days ago
Albany
Job Description At WhitsonLaw, PLLC, we’re seeking a dedicated Senior Associate to join our growing family-law practice. In this role, you will guide clients through some of life’s most difficult transitions while using strong trial skills, sharp legal judgment, and excellent communication to achieve the best possible outcomes. As a senior member of our team, you will manage a varied caseload with autonomy and consistency, while also mentoring newer associates and helping strengthen the quality of our work across the firm. As our Senior Associate, you will independently devise legal strategies, provide exceptional representation to clients, and lead with professionalism and accountability. You must be committed to excellence, hard work, and have proven experience in a top-tier family-law and litigation practice. You will own the firm’s legal production pipeline for assigned matters—from Legal Strategy Sessions through delivery of work product to the client—and you will oversee the legal team and support staff to ensure all work is completed efficiently, accurately, and on time. Your compassion, expertise, and energy will be essential as we continue empowering clients and upholding WhitsonLaw’s reputation for excellence. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in a supportive, client-focused, forward-thinking environment, we’d love to connect and explore this opportunity with you. About Our Founder — Debra A. Whitson WhitsonLaw was founded by Debra A. Whitson—an attorney, advocate, and visionary who has spent her career reimagining what family law can be for clients, children, and the professionals who serve them. Her purpose took shape at fourteen, after witnessing an injustice in her hometown that nearly cost someone she loved their life. From that moment forward, she committed to standing between families and systems that too often fail them—so no one feels powerless or unheard in their most vulnerable moments. With more than 25 years of experience, including over a decade as a prosecutor and Chief Special Victims Prosecutor, Debra has led in the hardest cases where trauma and family breakdown collide. She has trained judges, law enforcement, and first responders in trauma-informed practice—and earned a reputation for integrity, clarity, and resolve. But she didn’t just practice law. She built a different model. WhitsonLaw is a boutique, high-touch firm grounded in compassion, strategy, and resolution—pairing litigation excellence with mediation, collaborative law, and emotionally intelligent advocacy to protect what matters most: children, stability, and futures. Debra is also the founder of Mediated Online Solutions, extending her mission nationwide by making mediation and co-parenting support accessible, modern, and human-centered. WhitsonLaw is not just a firm. It is a purpose-driven practice. For the right Senior Associate, it’s not simply a career move—it’s an opportunity to practice law with meaning. Compensation: $150,000 at plan Responsibilities: As a Senior Associate of WhitsonLaw, PLLC, you will: • Independently lead assigned family-law matters from intake through resolution, including strategy, risk assessment, and client advisement., • Conduct Legal Strategy Sessions and translate strategy into clear, time-bound action plans for the team., • Identify leverage points early (facts, documentation, procedure, timing) and adjust strategy as cases evolve., • Manage the full litigation lifecycle: pleadings, discovery, motion practice, hearings, settlement conferences, trial preparation, and trial support/leadership as needed., • Draft and review high-quality legal work product (motions, affidavits, discovery demands/responses, stipulations, agreements, orders, judgments) with minimal revision., • Ensure filings are accurate, compliant, and timely, with a strong command of rules, court requirements, and internal deadlines., • Advocate effectively in court and during conferences, including presenting facts, legal arguments, and settlement positions persuasively and professionally., • Drive strategic negotiation and settlement planning that aligns legal outcomes with client priorities and practical realities., • Prepare clients for mediation/settlement conferences with clear expectations, strong documentation, and structured decision support., • Serve as the primary attorney point of contact for assigned clients, delivering timely updates, clarity, and confidence throughout the matter., • Set expectations early and reinforce them consistently regarding process, timelines, risk, and cost., • Produce client-ready deliverables that are organized, understandable, and aligned to the firm’s quality standards., • Own the firm’s legal production pipeline for assigned matters—from strategy session to delivery—ensuring work moves smoothly and predictably., • Create and maintain case plans, task lists, and deadline controls so nothing stalls or slips., • Spot bottlenecks, remove blockers, and escalate risks early with proposed solutions., • Lead, direct, and mentor associates, paralegals, and support staff assigned to your matters., • Assign work with clear instructions, definitions of done, and deadlines, then review for quality and coach for improvement., • Build a culture of accountability, consistency, and excellent client service through example-setting and respectful candor., • Keep time contemporaneously and maintain strong billing hygiene consistent with firm expectations., • Support proactive financial case management (retainers, replenishments, scope alignment) through clear communication and timely issue-spotting., • Participate in consultations/case evaluations as requested, presenting confidently and converting appropriate matters through a consultative approach., • Contribute to the firm’s reputation through professionalism, responsiveness, and consistent execution quality., • Support relationship-building and visibility efforts when needed (referrals, community presence, content/thought leadership).Qualifications:, • Member of state and local bar associations in good standing, • Four-year bachelor’s degree and successful completion of law school from an accredited law school, • Work independently while handling a heavy caseload, • Prior experience representing clients in trials, mediation, and arbitration, • You must have courtroom litigation experience with a track record of success, • You must be available for in-person appearances at mediations, meetings, and court proceedings in the following areas: From Albany, NY to Plattsburgh, New York. Outside of those responsibilities, the daily work location is flexible., • You are a thorough and precise researcher, writer, and speaker, • Your great technical acumen is matched by your patience, compassion, and attention to clients and the successful resolution of their legal matters, • You are confident, flexible, growth-minded, and comfortable in a management role, • You have or are willing to take the following advanced training: Certified Divorce Specialist™ training, 30 hours of basic Mediation training, and 15 hours of Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce training, • You are licensed in New York and have a clean professional discipline record You must be good with basic legal technology, specifically: • Microsoft Office, • Adobe Acrobat Pro, • Westlaw, • Ooma, • Google Workspace Suite, • Dropbox, • Familiarity with Clio Grow, Clio Manage, and Family Law Software is a plusAbout Company WhitsonLaw, PLLC is a New York family law firm focused on collaborative divorce and mediation—designed for clients who want resolution with dignity, clarity, and lasting peace. We guide clients through a structured process that clarifies priorities, organizes information, and supports durable agreements that hold up in real life—not just on paper. We pair compassionate counsel with disciplined execution: clear strategy, strong preparation, timely communication, and efficient workflows that respect both the emotional and financial realities of divorce. When additional support is needed, we make warm introductions to a curated network of trusted professionals—financial, parenting, therapeutic, and other experts—so clients are supported from every angle as they move into their next chapter.