Director of Attorney Professional Development

Akerman LLP; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

Transportation Program

Discretionary holiday bonus

Job summary

Akerman LLP is seeking a Director of Attorney Professional Development in New York, NY. This pivotal role focuses on designing, delivering, and continuously improving professional development programs for attorneys at all levels.

Candidates should have a minimum of 10 years in professional development, practical experience with senior professionals, and familiarity with AI technology integration. The position supports a hybrid work model and offers competitive benefits and salary range of $180,000 – $220,000 annually.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional development or training experience.
• Experience in designing and delivering programs for senior professionals.
• Familiarity with AI and technology in professional services.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver professional development programming for attorneys.
• Integrate AI fluency into development programming.
• Develop and track performance indicators for training effectiveness.

Skills

Executive presence

Strong facilitation

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Ability to build relationships

Proficiency in video conferencing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Learning & Development or related field

Advanced degree or J.D.

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Director of Attorney Professional Development

Job Category: Human Resources

Requisition Number: DIREC003842

Location: New York, NY 100200078, USA

Founded in 1920, Akerman is recognized as one of the country’s premier law firms, with more than 700 lawyers in 25 offices throughout the United States.

Akerman is seeking a Director of Attorney Professional Development. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Director of Attorney Professional Development owns the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of professional development programming for all attorneys firmwide, from junior associates through equity partners. This is a newly created position reflecting the firm’s commitment to extending structured professional development beyond associates to include partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants. The Director will build programming that strengthens legal skills, leadership capabilities, business development acumen, and fluency with AI and emerging practice technologies. Working in close partnership with the Professional Development Council, Practice Group Chairs, the C‑Suite, and the Akerman Intelligence platform, this role will shape a firmwide culture of continuous growth at every career stage.

Partner, Of Counsel & Consultant Development

• In collaboration with Practice Group Chairs, design and deliver professional development programming tailored to partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants, including leadership development, practice management, business generation, and client relationship skills
• Build programming that acknowledges the distinct developmental needs of senior attorneys, including transition to management responsibilities, cross‑selling, succession planning, and adaptation to evolving practice technologies
• Develop executive‑level facilitation approaches appropriate for experienced professionals, including peer learning formats, structured coaching frameworks, and case‑based workshops
• Coordinate with the Lateral Partner Immersion Program Co‑Chairs to ensure lateral partner hires receive ongoing professional development support beyond initial onboarding

Associate Development

• In collaboration with the PDC, design and deliver a comprehensive curriculum for junior, mid‑level, and senior associates aligned with Practice Group Chair benchmarks for progression
• Work with the PDC and Legal Recruiting to support the Mentor Program by equipping mentors with training tools, resources, and accountability frameworks
• Create structured development pathways that connect training milestones to associate advancement criteria

AI & Practice Technology Integration

• Partner with the Akerman Intelligence platform to integrate AI fluency into professional development programming across all attorney levels
• Design training that helps attorneys understand, evaluate, and effectively use AI and technology tools in their practices, including firm‑approved platforms and emerging legal technology
• Develop programming that addresses the practice transformation implications of AI, including workflow redesign, quality assurance, client communication about AI use, and ethical obligations
• Leverage AI tools to enhance training design, delivery, and accessibility, including adaptive learning paths and on‑demand resources

Firmwide Training Infrastructure

• Facilitate live and virtual training sessions across skill domains including client management, leadership, financial literacy, and interpersonal effectiveness
• Collaborate with C‑Suite leadership to align training programming with firm strategic initiatives, including the Financial Fluency for Lawyers series and the Connections initiative
• Create on‑demand training content (e‑learning modules, video resources, toolkits) to ensure accessibility for attorneys across all offices
• Coordinate with third‑party vendors to supplement internal programming as needed
• Serve as the primary liaison between the PDC, Practice Group Chairs, and firm leadership on all matters related to attorney development

Measurement & Reporting

• Develop and track performance indicators for training effectiveness, including participation rates, skill progression against benchmarks, and correlation with retention and engagement data
• Provide regular reporting to the CHRO and firm leadership on program outcomes, emerging trends, and recommended adjustments

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Learning & Development, Organizational Development, Communications, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience). Advanced degree or J.D. a plus.

Experience:

• 10+ years of professional development, training, or talent development experience, with meaningful exposure to law firm or professional services environments
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering professional development for senior professionals (partners, executives, or equivalent), not solely junior or associate populations
• Track record of building programming that drives measurable behavioral change, not just completion metrics
• Experience with change management and the organizational dynamics of introducing new development expectations to populations that have not historically participated in structured training
• Familiarity with how AI and technology are reshaping professional services delivery; direct experience integrating technology‑related content into development curricula strongly preferred
• Experience in an AmLaw 100 or comparable professional services environment preferred

Skills & Abilities:

• Executive presence and credibility sufficient to engage equity partners and senior leaders as a development resource, not solely as a training coordinator
• Ability to design and deliver engaging, interactive programming for both virtual and in‑person audiences at all levels of seniority
• Strong facilitation, communication, and presentation skills
• Ability to build trusted relationships across a large, geographically distributed organization
• Proficiency with video conferencing tools and the Microsoft 365 suite
• Willingness to travel to Akerman offices for in‑person programming as needed

Job Type: Full‑Time; Monday - Friday (Hybrid)

Salary Range: The firm’s anticipated hiring range for this position is $180,000 – $220,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including position, geographic location, education, training, and experience.

Bonus: Discretionary holiday bonus

Benefits: Paid Time Off, Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, and Transportation Program

Equal Opportunity Employer. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.