What is an MLS Project Manager
You may have heard of Vario’s Legal Project Managers, but did you know we also have a Managed Legal Services Project Manager? Kathryn Buckley began her career in the legal profession in a more traditional manner, graduating from university determined to qualify as a lawyer. After achieving this, she moved to into an in-house position eventually leading an in-house litigation team.
It was in this role that Kathryn realised her passion for people management and she eventually became a project manager. Now an MLS Project Manager for Vario, we sat down with her to discuss her role, her career path and how she plays a vital role in our MLS Delivery Team.
Why did you decide to become an MLS Project Manager
After graduating from university in 2013, I got my first paralegal role and spent several years specialising in litigation and dispute resolution. My plan up until that point had always been to qualify as a solicitor but after being promoted to team leader of an in-house litigation team, I discovered my passion for people management.
I spent the following 8 years working in various legal management positions and prior to joining Vario, I was the Senior Manager of a team of 80 paralegals. As well as day-to-day responsibility for the team, I was also involved in the project management of all complex and large-scale litigation projects.
Unfortunately, managing such a large team did not allow much time for the project management side of the role. So, I made the decision last year to move away from managing people so I could focus solely on projects and I love how my current role combines a bit of everything.
What does your role involve?
As an MLS Project Manager, my main responsibility is to develop the team's project delivery capability and ensure that we have effective processes in place. This in turn allows us to provide the best possible service to our clients.
I also lead the mobilisation and delivery of client-facing MLS projects. There are a number of facets to this, from identifying risks and agreeing resource allocation, to tracking progress, ensuring the quality of work and keeping stakeholders updated.
In addition to the client-facing projects, I work closely with the management team to identify internal change needs and assist with the implementation of any new processes. If I had to summarise my role, I would say it is a hybrid of Legal Project Management and Change Management - so lots of variation!
How do you fit into Vario’s MLS team structure?
I work with the Delivery Team and there are a lot of projects in the pipeline which I'll be supporting on. Every project is different - the scope, size and urgency of them varies greatly and I have to adapt my approach to accommodate this.
However, a key priority for me is that no matter what the project, my role is to ensure all individuals know what is expected of them. Strong communication skills are absolutely vital for this!