Innovation Attorney

Latham & Watkins LLP; New York; Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Latham & Watkins seeks an Innovation Attorney to join the Technology & Information Services team. Located in Los Angeles, Chicago, DC, Boston or New York, this hybrid role connects lawyers, clients and IT to tailor technology to practice needs and firm strategy.

Responsibilities include evaluating new technologies, drafting specs, piloting solutions, and advising leadership on deployment. Requires a JD, bar admission, and at least four years in a legal/tech role.

Qualifications

• JD or equivalent and admission to the relevant state bar
• Four+ years of experience as a practicing lawyer in a law firm or legal operations role
• Experience in a technology role, preferably in a legal tech environment

Responsibilities

• Staying abreast of generative AI and emerging tech to inform the firm’s technology platform
• Provide updates and analysis of new technologies to firm management and practice leadership
• Draft specs, evaluate software and pilot concepts with guidance from practice groups
• Advise on strategic deployment of efficient processes, policies and tools
• Foster relationships with industry groups and vendors
• Coordinate communications between lawyers, local tech teams and global IT organization
• Participate in technology committees and working groups
• Deliver technology presentations and training to support strategic deployments
• Protect highly sensitive and proprietary information

Skills

Product development & management

User personas & stories

Roadmap planning

UI/UX concepts

User testing

Knowledge of LegalTech product sectors

MS Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Visio

Education

JD or equivalent law degree

Bar admission in relevant state

Tools

MS Word

Job description

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is one of the world’s leading global law firms advising the businesses and institutions that drive the global economy. We are the market leaders in major financial and business centers around the world. Our investment in people, commitment to innovation, and focus on the future empower you to build an incredible career and thrive as an exceptional professional in a supportive culture. If you aspire to be the best, and work with the best, this is where you belong.

About the Role

The Innovation Attorney is an integral part of Latham’s Technology & Information Services team. This role will be responsible for serving as a connection point and conduit between the firm’s lawyers, clients, and the Technology & Information Services Department to ensure the firm’s technology systems, tools, and services are effectively meeting the needs of Latham’s practicing attorneys and clients, while working with practice group leadership and those directly supporting the practice (e.g., Knowledge Management Lawyers, Practice Development Managers, etc.) to understand the technology needs of the firm’s lawyers and their clients at the practice group level, assisting in developing technical strategies to improve efficiency, and making recommendations for how to integrate applications and technology solutions into the practice group’s workflow. This role will be located in either our Los Angeles office in Century City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston or New York office. Please note that this role may be eligible for a flexible working schedule that allows for a hybrid and in‑office presence.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Other key responsibilities include:

• Staying abreast of advancements in generative artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies and innovative new offerings, both legal and non‑legal, to ensure a state‑of‑the‑art technology platform is available to and fully exploited by the firm’s lawyers
• Providing updates and analysis of these new technologies and industry trends to firm management and practice group leadership
• Looking for opportunities to leverage existing and emerging technologies into specific practices, as applicable, and assisting with pilot and proof of concept programs, including drafting specifications, evaluating software objectively and versus peer or incumbent products, and testing products and services
• Working with the Technology & Information Services Department management and firm leadership to make recommendations for strategic deployment of efficient processes, technology‑related policies, software tools, and other technology‑assisted solutions for Latham attorneys and clients
• Fostering strategic relationships with industry organizations, innovation thought leaders and third‑party vendors
• Assisting with communications between practicing lawyers, local technology teams, and the global technology support services group, as necessary, ensuring support efforts are being managed and resolved by the appropriate parties
• Participating in, and contributing to, various technology‑related working groups and committees as necessary, such as the Technology Committee and the Security Committee
• Communicating with the attorney population by preparing and delivering technology presentations and technology training related to strategic technology deployments and projects, collaborating with key attorneys on service initiatives, and by working with practice leadership to understand how emerging technologies can support the provision of legal services to clients
• Protecting and maintaining any highly sensitive, confidential, privileged, financial, and/or proprietary information that Latham & Watkins retains

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Possess the understanding of product development and management, including user personas, user stories, scoping, requirements documentation, roadmap planning, UI/UX concepts, and user testing
• Display proficiency in enterprise PC applications, including MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Visio
• Demonstrate knowledge of LegalTech product categories

And have:

• A JD or equivalent, and admission to the relevant state bar
• A minimum of four (4) years of experience as a practicing lawyer in a law firm or in a legal operations role
• Experience in a technology role, preferably

Benefits & Additional Information

Successful candidates will not only be provided with an outstanding career opportunity and welcoming environment, but will also be provided with a generous total compensation package with bonuses awarded in recognition of both individual and firm performance. Eligible employees can participate in Latham’s comprehensive benefit program which includes:

• Healthcare, life and disability insurance
• A generous 401k plan
• At least 11 paid holidays per year, and a PTO program that accrues 23 days during the first year of employment and grows with tenure
• Well‑being programs (e.g. mental health services, mindfulness and resiliency, medical resources, well‑being events, and more)
• Professional development programs
• Employee discounts
• Affinity groups, networks, and coalitions for lawyers and staff

Latham & Watkins is an equal opportunity employer. The Firm prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status (including veterans of the Vietnam era), gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable statute.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. An employer that violates this law may be subject to fines and/or a private right of action for $500 in statutory damages “for each such violation,” among other things.

Pay Range

USD $220,000.00 - USD $250,000.00 /Yr.