Senior User Experience Designer

Sidley Austin LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 94,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP is seeking a Senior UX Designer to shape the next generation of AI-powered legal tech for lawyers and business professionals. Working in the Data & AI Engineering group, you will partner with the UX Lead, product managers, and engineers to deliver intuitive, impactful AI-driven products and platforms.

This hands-on role demands a craft-focused designer with strong product sense, experience in UX/UI, prototyping, accessibility, and a willingness to explore AI and code-based

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, HCI, Psychology, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 3 years as a product or UX designer delivering high-quality work.
• Strong portfolio in UX/UI, prototyping, and interaction design across web/mobile.
• Willingness to use AI tools such as Claude Code/Claude for design work.

Responsibilities

• Use AI-powered design and prototyping tools daily to explore concepts and build prototypes.
• Translate the UX vision into well-crafted designs across products and platforms.
• Execute end-to-end design: research, IA, wireframes, prototypes, visual design.
• Support discovery and usability testing to inform decisions.
• Balance user needs with business goals and technical constraints.
• Collaborate with product managers and engineers to refine requirements.
• Maintain UX standards and contribute to a scalable design system.
• Champion accessibility and inclusive design.
• Experiment with new AI tools and share learnings with the team.
• Participate in design sessions, workshops, and critiques.
• Track UX metrics and use data to refine designs.
• Stay current on UX, product, and AI trends.
• Present work with rationale to stakeholders.

Skills

Portfolio review

Figma proficiency

AI prototyping

Frontend familiarity

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Design, HCI, Psychology or related field

Tools

Claude Code

Claude

Figma

Job description

The Senior User Experience (UX) Designer will help define the next generation of AI-powered legal technology used by lawyers and business professionals at one of the world's leading law firms. Working within the Data & AI Engineering group, this role partners closely with the UX Lead, product managers, and engineers to design and deliver intuitive, impactful AI-powered products and platforms. This is a hands-on, craft-focused role for a designer who combines strong product design skills with a forward-thinking, AI-first mindset.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Use AI-powered design and prototyping tools (e.g., Claude Code, Claude, and other code- and AI-based prototyping environments) as a core part of daily practice to rapidly explore concepts, build working prototypes, and deliver design solutions.
• Translate the UX vision and strategy set by the UX Lead into well-crafted, consistent designs across multiple products and platforms.
• Execute the end-to-end design process—user research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity visual design with guidance from the UX Lead.
• Support discovery and user research, including usability testing and other validation methods, to inform design decisions and feature prioritization.
• Approach design with a product mindset, weighing user needs alongside business goals, use cases, and technical constraints and opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to refine requirements and ensure designs are feasible and consistent.
• Apply and help maintain UX design standards, guidelines, and patterns that support a cohesive, scalable design system.
• Champion accessibility, usability, and inclusive design best practices throughout day-to-day design work.
• Continuously experiment with new AI tools, workflows, and techniques, sharing what you learn to help the team work more effectively.
• Contribute to collaborative design sessions, workshops, and design critiques, offering ideas and incorporating feedback.
• Help track and interpret key UX metrics, using data and AI-assisted analysis to refine designs and inform future work.
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging tools, and the fast-evolving intersection of UX, product, and AI.
• Present design work clearly to the UX Lead, product team, and other stakeholders, articulating decisions and the rationale behind them.

Required

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a product or UX designer, with a track record of delivering high-quality work.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating skill in user research, UX/UI design, prototyping, and interaction design across web and/or mobile applications.
• Demonstrated willingness and ability to use AI to produce design work—including hands-on experience with, or genuine eagerness to learn, AI- and code-based prototyping tools such as Claude Code, Claude, or similar.
• A product-minded approach, with the ability to consider business needs, use cases, and technical constraints alongside user needs.
• Proficiency with design and prototyping tools such as Figma.
• Working familiarity with front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) sufficient to collaborate effectively with engineers and to prototype using code-based tools.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design principles.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions to both design and non-design audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and adapt to shifting priorities.

Preferred

• Experience in the professional services industry (e.g., legal, financial, accounting, consulting).
• Demonstrated curiosity and self-direction in adopting emerging AI tools and workflows ahead of the curve.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and experience working in a Scrum environment.
• Knowledge of user behavior analytics and UX metrics tools such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, or similar.
• Certification in UX design or design thinking methodologies.

Other Skills And Abilities

• The following will also be required of the successful candidate:
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the future

The Target Salary Range For This Role Is

$94,000 - $130,000 if located in Illinois or Texas.

Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [e-mail] (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.