Legal Engineer

Goodwin; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Retirement plan

Back-up care

Paid time off

Professional development

Employee discounts

Wellness program

Job summary

Goodwin’s Global Operations Team seeks a Legal Engineer to design and build technology-enabled legal solutions at the intersection of law and software. You will collaborate with lawyers, knowledge management, and Digital & Technology teams to create tools that make legal workflows more efficient and scalable using automation and AI.

Ideal candidates combine software engineering with in-depth legal workflow understanding, and can translate complex processes into technical requirements while

Qualifications

• JD or prior experience practicing law or equivalent deep legal domain expertise.
• Experience with legal tech platforms such as iManage, NetDocuments, Litera.
• Familiarity with AI/ML, NLP, or LLM-based applications.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable applications and tools supporting legal workflows.
• Develop solutions across document automation, knowledge systems, and data platforms.
• Leverage AI, NLP, and automation to enhance legal service delivery.
• Write clean, secure code across front-end, back-end, and APIs.

Skills

Legal experience

Legal tech tools

AI/ML familiarity

Cloud platforms

Data privacy

Cross-domain bridging

Problem solving

Product mindset

Communication

Curiosity

Tools

iManage

NetDocuments

Litera

Python

JavaScript/TypeScript

Java

C#

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.

Goodwin is seeking a Legal Engineer to help design and build the next generation of technology‑enabled legal solutions. This role sits at the intersection of law, technology, and product development, and is ideal for someone who combines software engineering expertise with a deep understanding of legal workflows.

You will partner with lawyers, knowledge management, and Digital & Technology teams to develop innovative tools that make the practice of law more efficient, scalable, and data‑driven—leveraging modern technologies including automation, AI, and advanced data platforms.

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

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

This position is eligible for overtime: No

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