Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team

What brought you to McKinsey?

Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team
Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team

After college, I was a paralegal for several years in both small- and mid-sized law firms. I then went on to earn my Master’s degree in law firm management, which is designed for professionals who opt for an alternative to law school. The advanced degree focuses on the business, operations, and nuts-and-bolts logistics of working with legal professionals across several areas.

About three years ago, I was serving as a director in practice management at a law firm when I saw a posting on LinkedIn for my current role at McKinsey. I applied and was offered the role. In February of 2019, I joined as head of legal operations, which is part of McKinsey’s in-house legal team.

I am doing work similar to what I was doing in law firms, but on a global scale in a matrix organization and for a dynamic legal function.

What do you do for the firm?

Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team
Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team

I am on the Legal leadership team, where we support all of the firm’s legal needs globally.

In my role as head of legal operations, I focus on driving impact for the Legal function through strategic planning, financial and budget management, knowledge sharing, department connectivity, talent management, legal technology, and innovation.

I work with the general counsel and other members of the Legal leadership team on setting priorities and driving strategic initiatives. I manage the external counsel spend and focus particularly on building capabilities to create greater efficiencies across the legal function.

I also focus heavily on training and development of our legal professionals. We have an extensive global training curriculum, and I work with our talent manager to develop and deliver trainings on practical skills, such as communications, presenting with impact, and problem-solving.

Every day is different, and I love it.

Tell us about the role Legal is playing in McKinsey’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team
Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team

We launched a global inclusion leadership team in July 2020 after the killing of George Floyd. We were inspired by McKinsey’s 10 Actions and wanted a dedicated program within Legal.

Efforts include education, mentorship, continuous learning and development, and pro bono initiatives. For example, this year we participated in a nonpartisan project assisting voters in connection with the Presidential election. We’re also working on increasing our supplier spend with businesses owned by minorities, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and persons with disabilities.

We are focusing on our recruiting, advancement, and retention; training on topics like unconscious bias; creating dialogue circles on key issues around respect and social justice; and we are engaging colleagues all across the firm.

As a diverse woman on the Legal leadership team, I enjoy playing a key role in ensuring inclusivity.

More about Melissa

Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team
Discovering a new home—and purpose—on McKinsey’s Legal team

Melissa is active in the McKinsey Black Network. In her spare time, she loves traveling with her family and friends—and specifically her travel buddy, her mom—and looks forward to the days when she can visit McKinsey colleagues across the globe again. She enjoys exploring new areas and cultures, visiting art museums, reading, going to outdoor festivals, and taking advantage of learning experiences. Her travels have turned her into a bit of a foodie! And she is a big fan of professional tennis and the Philadelphia Eagles.

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