Position Overview
The Innovation Attorney works at the intersection of legal practice, technology, and business operations to help attorneys deliver legal services more effectively. This position acts as a strategic and hands-on resource for the adoption of emerging technologies, including generative AI, the development of client-focused solutions, and the improvement of legal workflows.
Working alongside lawyers, practice leaders, and teams across the firm, the Innovation Attorney evaluates how legal work is performed, identifies opportunities for improvement, and turns those opportunities into practical solutions. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a legal environment and will be able to bridge the gap between attorneys' day-to-day needs and the capabilities of technology, data, process improvement, and innovation.
Primary Responsibilities
Practice Innovation & Legal Operations
- Evaluate existing legal workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, consistency, and overall service delivery.
- Work directly with attorneys and practice teams to design and implement improved processes, technology solutions, and operating approaches.
- Assess emerging legal industry practices and technologies to determine where they can provide meaningful value to attorneys and clients.
- Act as a subject-matter resource for legal innovation, workflow optimization, technology adoption, and modern approaches to delivering legal services.
- Develop matter-management resources, dashboards, reporting tools, portals, and other solutions that give legal teams and clients clearer insight into work, performance, and relevant data.
- Analyze matter and practice information to identify trends, capture lessons learned, and inform future improvements.
- Help establish collaboration environments that facilitate communication among clients, outside counsel, local counsel, and other third parties.
- Identify opportunities where technology or innovative service models can strengthen client relationships and differentiate the firm's services.
Innovation Program & Project Leadership
- Take ownership of innovation initiatives from initial concept through implementation, including defining objectives, establishing project plans, coordinating participants, and managing deliverables.
- Establish project timelines, monitor progress, identify risks or obstacles, and communicate key developments to leadership and relevant Innovation stakeholders.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary teams that may include attorneys, paralegals, administrative personnel, technology professionals, and other business functions.
- Maintain effective communication with practice groups and firm personnel regarding projects involving technology, efficiency, workflow redesign, and client service.
- Evaluate project results and identify opportunities to refine, expand, or scale successful solutions.
Legal Technology & AI Enablement
- Help practice groups identify meaningful applications for legal technology, automation, and generative AI.
- Translate emerging technology capabilities into practical use cases that fit attorneys' existing responsibilities and workflows.
- Work with lawyers and Innovation leadership to test new technologies, assess their effectiveness, and determine which solutions should be expanded across the practice.
- Monitor adoption and gather feedback from attorneys to identify barriers, usability concerns, and opportunities for additional support.
- Provide individualized guidance and coaching to attorneys using AI and other legal technology platforms.
- Assist with troubleshooting and help users incorporate technology into their normal working practices.
- Support organizational change by developing communication, adoption, and enablement strategies around new tools and processes.
- Stay informed on developments in legal technology and generative AI and assess their potential relevance to the firm's practices.
Knowledge & Practice Resources
- Work with attorneys and practice teams to identify deficiencies in existing knowledge resources, workflows, templates, and other practice materials.
- Help organize and maintain reliable, accessible resources that reflect current practice standards and improve attorney efficiency.
- Contribute to initiatives involving the collection, organization, and reuse of matter and experience data.
- Improve the discoverability and practical use of knowledge assets within attorney workflows.
- Coordinate with research, information services, knowledge management, and other internal teams to incorporate relevant content into legal processes.
- Identify recurring information needs and recommend resources or workflow enhancements that address them.
Training & Attorney Enablement
- Develop and deliver practical education for attorneys and other legal professionals on technology, AI, innovation resources, workflow improvements, and client-service solutions.
- Collaborate with internal training resources to create orientations, demonstrations, workshops, presentations, reference materials, and other educational content.
- Develop training based on actual practice scenarios and the specific needs of assigned groups.
- Provide ongoing support to attorneys as they learn and adopt new tools and processes.
- Serve as a primary liaison between practice groups and the Innovation function, ensuring that attorney needs and feedback are communicated effectively.
Client Solutions & Business Development
- Create case studies, success stories, presentations, portal materials, and other content demonstrating the firm's approach to innovation and client service.
- Support client pitches, RFPs, seminars, presentations, and thought-leadership activities involving technology and innovative legal services.
- Help translate internal innovation capabilities into compelling client-facing value propositions.
- Partner with attorneys and business professionals to identify opportunities where technology, data, or process improvements can strengthen client relationships.
- Participate in Innovation initiatives and share successful approaches, lessons learned, and emerging practice needs with colleagues across the firm.
- Contribute to other strategic innovation efforts as business priorities require.
Required Qualifications
Professional Background
- J.D. from an accredited law school and active admission in good standing to practice law within at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- At least four years of experience practicing law within a large or sophisticated law firm environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading projects, improving business or legal processes, or coordinating initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
- Experience helping attorneys, clients, or business teams adopt new processes, technologies, or ways of working.
- Practical understanding of how legal professionals conduct matters and manage client service responsibilities.
Core Competencies
- Strong written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation abilities, with the capacity to explain technical and operational concepts in language appropriate for attorneys, clients, and business leaders.
- Working knowledge of legal technology, emerging technologies, and generative AI and an understanding of how these capabilities can be applied within legal practice.
- Ability to evaluate workflows and translate business or practice challenges into practical, technology-enabled solutions.
- Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, including the ability to assess ambiguous problems and develop actionable recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to build credibility and productive relationships with attorneys, firm leadership, business professionals, clients, and external partners.
- Strong change-management skills and the ability to encourage adoption of new processes, technologies, and operating models.
- High degree of initiative, sound professional judgment, accountability, and ability to operate independently.
- Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting established deadlines.
- Service-oriented approach with an emphasis on measurable improvements, practical outcomes, and client value.
Technology Experience
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience with collaboration, document management, knowledge management, or workflow platforms such as SharePoint, HighQ, or comparable systems.
- Demonstrated ability to quickly become proficient with unfamiliar legal applications, AI platforms, and emerging technologies.
- Exposure to project and work-management platforms such as Asana, Monday.com, Microsoft Project, or comparable tools is preferred.
- Experience with automation platforms, data visualization, reporting solutions, or client-facing dashboards is advantageous but not essential.