Practice Innovation Specialist

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don't just meet the standard for legal excellence - we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 22 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers' commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You'll Do

Are you passionate about transforming legal service delivery through innovative technology and smart solutions? As a Practice Innovation Specialist on Kirkland's Innovation team, you'll play a key role in implementing, optimizing, and supporting attorney-facing tools across all practice areas. This role bridges technology and legal practice by enhancing the usability, adoption, and measurable impact of platforms designed to elevate attorney workflows and client outcomes.
You'll collaborate closely with Practice Innovation Advisors, cross-functional teams, and vendor partners to support full lifecycle execution of new tools-from piloting and adoption through enhancement and optimization. With an eye on performance, data, and industry developments, you'll help ensure that Kirkland's innovation initiatives are aligned with evolving attorney needs and market capabilities.

Program Implementation & Oversight - Monitor pilots and tool rollouts, tracking adoption metrics and maintaining consistent communication with vendors and internal teams.
User-Centered Optimization - Identify attorney pain points and drive improvements in configuration and training that support stronger engagement and functionality.
Practice Group Partnership - Collaborate with Practice Innovation Advisors to align technology initiatives with specific practice needs, supporting engagement, feedback, and solution evolution.
Performance Documentation & Reporting - Maintain detailed records of stakeholder feedback, enhancement requests, and vendor follow-ups to reinforce transparency and drive solution alignment.
Market & Tool Intelligence - Stay current on platform updates, vendor roadmaps, and market trends to inform decision-making and optimize tool usage firmwide.
Communications & Enablement - Craft clear and timely communications around solution updates, AI tools, enhancements, and best practices for attorneys and practice groups.
Adoption Insights & Strategy - Leverage usage analytics and adoption data to assess tool effectiveness and guide ongoing implementation strategies.

What You'll Bring

Bachelor's degree required; post-graduate degree in Organizational Development, Business, or related field preferred.
3-5 years of experience in practice innovation, technology implementation, or program management within a law firm, regulated industry (financial services, insurance, HIPAA-compliant, etc.), or legal tech environment.
Cross-functional program experience deploying AI, productivity, or automation tools from pilot through full-scale adoption.
Technical acumen in platform enablement, customer success methodologies, and data analysis for tracking performance and optimizing tools.
Strong organizational and prioritization skills with a high degree of professionalism and accountability; able to manage multiple projects independently and efficiently.
Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and user adoption strategies for legal or enterprise technology solutions.
Excellent communication and influence skills to engage attorneys and senior stakeholders, paired with high professional standards and organizational strength.
Preferred qualifications include hands-on experience with generative AI tools, usage analytics platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Google Analytics), legal tech platforms, and relevant certifications or coursework in program management or AI/ML.

If you're ready to support cutting-edge legal innovation through smart implementation, user advocacy, and continuous improvement, we'd love to hear from you!

Compensation

The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in each of the below locations. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range:

Chicago: $115,000 - $128,000

New York: $115,000 - $134,000

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.