Precedent Developer

Sydney, NSW, Australia Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career growth

Flexible work

Culture

Impact

Job summary

HWLE is seeking a Precedent Developer to join our national Knowledge team. Youll work with lawyers and knowledge professionals to develop and automate precedents and templates, supporting document automation across the firm.

This role blends legal drafting with technology and process improvement, influencing how documents are created and maintained while evolving our knowledge and legal technology capabilities.

Qualifications

• Mentioned experience delivering Microsoft Word induction training and user support.
• Strong Word skills: formatting, styles, templates, production best practices.
• Proven precedent development: creating, maintaining or automating precedents.
• Solid coding and document automation capabilities with automation platforms.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and enhance legal precedents, templates and automated documents.
• Collaborate with lawyers and experts to improve drafting processes and efficiency.
• Code, test and maintain documents in automation platforms and support new platforms.
• Manage drafting resources, style guides and knowledge assets for consistency.
• Deliver Word induction training and ongoing support to teams.
• Provide guidance on document production best practices and automation tools.
• Support knowledge management, legal tech and continuous improvement projects.

Skills

Word induction training

Advanced Word skills

Precedent development

Document automation

Coding for automation

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Proactive mindset

Tools

XpressDox

Contract Express

HotDocs

LawDocs

Job description

• Join a team at the forefront of legal innovation, helping shape how legal knowledge, precedents and document automation are delivered
• Backed by our merit-based culture, you'll have a clear pathway to accelerate your growth and progression
• Generous leave policies available |We offer flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance

About us

HWLE is not your typical law firm. Our rapid rise to become the largest legal partnership in Australia shows that in our case, the differences are real. We deliver first class legal advice to our government and commercial clients in every state and territory across Australia. Firm wide, we have over 270 Partners and 1900 people.

The opportunity

We are seeking a Precedent Developer to join our national Knowledge team. Working closely with lawyers, knowledge professionals and business services teams, you'll play a key role in developing and enhancing the firm's precedents, drafting resources and document automation solutions. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys combining legal drafting, technology and process improvement to create practical solutions across the firm. As part of an innovative team, you'll have the opportunity to influence how legal documents are created and maintained while supporting the ongoing evolution of our knowledge and legal technology capabilities.

*Open to location between Melbourne or Sydney.

You'll be busy with

• Developing, maintaining and enhancing legal precedents, templates and automated documents.
• Working with lawyers and subject matter experts to improve drafting processes and document production efficiencies.
• Coding, testing and maintaining documents within automation platforms, and supporting the implementation of new automation platforms.
• Managing drafting resources, style guides and knowledge assets to ensure consistency and quality.
• Delivering Microsoft Word induction training and ongoing support to legal and business services teams.
• Providing guidance on document production best practices and automation tools.
• Supporting projects focused on knowledge management, legal technology and continuous improvement initiatives.

To succeed in this role, ideally, you'll have

• Demonstrated experience delivering Microsoft Word induction training and user support
• Advanced Microsoft Word skills, including document formatting, styles, templates and document production best practices.
• Proven precedent development experience, including creating, maintaining or automating legal precedents and templates.
• Strong coding and document automation skills, with experience using platforms such as XpressDox, Contract Express, HotDocs, LawDocs or similar technologies.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to producing high-quality work.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• A proactive mindset with a passion for process improvement and problem solving.

What we offer

• Unrivalled career pathways: Join a team at the forefront of legal innovation, helping shape how legal knowledge, precedents and document automation are delivered across a national firm. You'll work on impactful initiatives, expand your expertise through continuous learning, and collaborate on projects that drive real business outcomes. Backed by our merit-based culture and 180-day career forecasting process, you'll have a clear pathway to accelerate your growth and progression.
• Work-Life Balance:We offer flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.
• Culture: Be part of a firm renowned for its friendly and down-to-earth culture.
• Impact:Join a firm consistently ranked at the forefront of the Australian legal market, where your work is recognised nationally.