Legal Engineer

Goodwin Procter Boston; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid vacation

Professional development

Employee discounts

Job summary

Goodwin's Global Operations Team collaborates with attorneys, clients, and experts to deliver innovative legal tech solutions across document management, workflow orchestration, and data platforms. This role emphasizes building scalable applications that support legal service delivery.

You will translate legal processes into technical designs, write secure full-stack code, and work in cross-functional teams using AI, NLP, and cloud platforms to drive efficiency and client value.

Qualifications

• JD or prior experience practicing law or equivalent legal domain expertise.
• Experience with legal tech platforms like iManage, NetDocuments, Litera.
• Familiarity with AI/ML, NLP, or LLM-based apps.
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/GCP) and modern dev frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Develop scalable applications and tools supporting legal workflows and client service.
• Build solutions for document automation, knowledge systems, workflow orchestration, and data platforms.
• Leverage AI/LLMs to enhance legal service delivery.
• Write clean, secure full-stack code across front-end, back-end, APIs, integrations.
• Translate complex legal processes into technical requirements and system designs.
• Collaborate with attorneys and legal teams to identify inefficiencies and opportunities.
• Integrate with enterprise systems and design interoperable APIs.

Skills

Python

JavaScript/TypeScript

Java

C#

Cloud: Azure/AWS/GCP

Legal tech

APIs

Cross-functional

Stakeholder comms

Education

JD or legal experience

Tools

iManage

NetDocuments

Litera

Document automation tools

Job description

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do. Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting‑edge solutions in high‑stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world‑class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer. This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward‑thinking peers.

What You Will Do:

• Product Development & Engineering Design, build, and maintain scalable applications and tools that support legal workflows and client service delivery
• Develop solutions across areas such as document automation, knowledge systems, workflow orchestration, and legal data platforms
• Leverage emerging technologies (e.g., AI/LLMs, NLP, automation frameworks) to enhance legal service delivery
• Write clean, maintainable, and secure code across the full stack (front‑end, back‑end, APIs, integrations)

Legal Domain Translation

• Translate complex legal processes (e.g., deal workflows, case management, document drafting) into technical requirements and system designs
• Collaborate closely with attorneys and legal teams to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for innovation
• Ensure solutions align with legal standards, regulatory requirements, and risk considerations

Innovation & Product Thinking

• Contribute to ideation and rapid prototyping of new legal products and features
• Apply product thinking to prioritize features, iterate based on feedback, and drive user adoption
• Stay current on legal tech trends and bring forward new ideas to enhance the firm’s capabilities

Integration & Architecture

• Integrate with enterprise systems (e.g., document management, practice management, knowledge systems)
• Design APIs and data models that enable interoperability and scalability
• Ensure solutions meet performance, security, and compliance standards

Collaboration & Delivery

• Work in agile, cross‑functional teams including engineers, product managers, legal subject matter experts, and UX designers
• Participate in code reviews, testing, and deployment processes
• Contribute to documentation, training, and rollout of new tools

Who You Are:

• JD or prior experience practicing law (or equivalent deep legal domain expertise)
• Experience with legal tech platforms (e.g., iManage, NetDocuments, Litera, document automation tools)
• Familiarity with AI/ML, natural language processing, or LLM-based applications
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP) and modern development frameworks
• Understanding of data privacy, security, and compliance considerations in legal environments
• Ability to bridge legal and technical domains
• Strong problem‑solving and systems thinking
• Product mindset and user‑centric design approach
• Effective communication with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• Curiosity and passion for innovation in legal services
• Preferred Demonstrated experience working with legal workflows, legal technology, or as a practicing attorney/paralegal with technical expertise
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#) Experience building APIs, web applications, and system integrations #LI-MS1

Benefits and More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement & Savings Plan
• Emergency back‑up child and adult care
• Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities
• Employee recognition and reward programs
• Employee wellness and assistance programs
• Employee discounts and perks

The target salary range for this position varies by location and is commensurate with relevant experience: Boston $137,100 - $205,700 | Los Angeles $147,400 - $221,100 | New York $147,400 - $221,100 | Orange County $147,400 - $221,100 | Philadelphia $134,300 - $201,500 | San Diego $147,400 - $221,100 | San Francisco $157,700 - $236,500 | Santa Monica $147,400 - $221,100

This position is eligible for overtime: No

Professional career paths at Goodwin offer you more – and less – than you might expect. You’ll find less hierarchy and more meritocracy. You’ll have more chances to work across departments and offices, and fewer roadblocks to getting the job done. We believe people are happiest when they’re not limited by a ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ approach, so we encourage a more imaginative and collaborative working environment. Our Global Operations Team – what we call our GO Team – brings a level of professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment to work each and every day.

Goodwin embraces responsible and ethical use of AI in the Hiring Process.