Legal Project Manager, Estate Planning and Individual Services
legal — contract — Lynchburg, Virginia · Hybrid Remote
Compensation: $45 - $65/hr · Contract to Full-Time
About This Role
Relevant Law is hiring a Legal Project Manager to serve as the analytical and operational lead for estate planning and individual services engagements in our Virginia practice. This role requires someone who understands estate planning at a substantive level — who reasons through how different instruments interact, identifies issues clients have not considered, and builds the analytical framework that enables attorneys to advise from clarity rather than discovery. You are not scheduling meetings and preparing documents on request. You are reviewing intake, mapping family structures and asset compositions, flagging multi-state property complications, recognizing when business interests require separate planning, and preparing the comprehensive analysis that transforms a routine will update into the full estate plan revision the client actually needs. You will operate within an AI-augmented workflow, applying critical judgment to ensure AI-generated estate planning documents meet the precision that affluent clients and their families require.
Responsibilities
Serve as the analytical engine for estate planning engagements — reviewing client intake, identifying the full scope of issues before the attorney meeting, and recognizing when a will update is actually a comprehensive estate plan revision
Engage directly with clients as a knowledgeable professional who can discuss estate planning concepts, trust structures, and wealth preservation with the depth that builds confidence and surfaces critical information
Draft estate planning documents, research tax strategies, and prepare analytical summaries using AI tools, then critically evaluate all output for errors, inconsistencies, and gaps that technology cannot independently identify
Identify issues the client did not raise — recognizing when an estate plan must coordinate with a business operating agreement, when a trust structure carries tax consequences the client has not considered, or when family dynamics require creative solutions
Oversee estate administration and probate matters involving complex estates with business interests, multi-state property, contested claims, and fiduciary obligations
Manage the full lifecycle of engagements using the Astra platform, coordinating attorney review, client communications, financial advisor coordination, and deadline tracking
Collaborate with business advisory, tax, and other practice area teams when engagements cross disciplines
Proactively identify clients requiring plan updates due to life changes, tax law developments, or family transitions — treating annual reviews as opportunities for genuine advisory value
Requirements
J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school strongly preferred; candidates without a J.D. must demonstrate equivalent analytical depth through extensive experience evaluating client situations and recommending instruments in estate planning, estate administration, or trust administration
Substantive knowledge of estate planning instruments (wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, advance medical directives) and the judgment to know when each is appropriate, when they interact, and when standard approaches fail
Demonstrated advanced proficiency with AI platforms (Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, CoCounsel, or equivalent), with the critical judgment to evaluate AI-generated estate planning documents for accuracy, completeness, and client alignment
Understanding of how estate planning intersects with business ownership, tax planning, real property, and family dynamics — the ability to recognize when an engagement crosses into business succession or tax territory
Proven ability to work with affluent clients and families navigating emotional decisions with empathy, discretion, and professionalism — combined with the analytical discipline to guide conversations toward correct outcomes
Knowledge of charitable giving vehicles, philanthropic planning, and tax strategies for high-net-worth individuals
Capacity to manage multiple concurrent engagements with deadline precision across the full lifecycle from intake through execution
What We Offer
Competitive hourly rate with defined path to full-time conversion as practice volume grows
Professional development budget including AI certifications, CLE, and continuing education
Hybrid remote work with periodic in-office collaboration in the Lynchburg area
Access to enterprise AI tools and proprietary practice management technology
Opportunity to define a new role in legal services that integrates analytical depth, AI fluency, and genuine client advisory capacity
About Relevant Law
Relevant Law is a legal services brand used by independent law practices in Virginia, Colorado, and Washington. Lawyers provide advisory and transactional counsel to businesses, individuals, and executives. Each engagement has its own scope and fee terms; technology supports, but does not replace, lawyer judgment.