Practice Innovation Advisor

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 23 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 shaping the future of legal services through innovation and technology? As a Practice Innovation Advisor at Kirkland & Ellis, you'll join our Practice Innovation team, working at the intersection of law and technology to enhance client service, efficiency, and profitability.

You'll partner with attorneys, knowledge management professionals, and firm leadership to design and implement tech-enabled solutions that optimize workflows and elevate client outcomes. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is motivated to drive meaningful change across the firm.

• Assess and Improve Workflows - Partner with legal teams to evaluate current processes, identify challenges, and analyze the feasibility and impact of potential innovations.
• Lead Technology Pilots - Design, launch, and manage pilots from scoping through execution, overseeing objectives, timelines, budgets, risks, and success measures.
• Drive Adoption and Change - Collaborate with practice groups to introduce new technology, build buy-in, and facilitate smooth adoption.
• Engage and Influence - Act as the face of Innovation at practice group meetings, trainings, and strategic initiatives, partnering closely with knowledge management attorneys and firm leadership.
• Bridge Strategy and Execution - Ensure alignment between practice-specific needs and firmwide innovation initiatives, connecting attorneys, innovation teams, and leadership.
• Advance Legal Process Optimization - Map workflows to uncover opportunities for automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and tailored solutions.
• Develop Use Cases and Solutions - Conduct deep dives into practice group needs, designing, testing, and refining custom workflows and tools.
• Manage Vendor Partnerships - Build and maintain strong relationships with external technology providers across product, pre-sales, and customer success functions.
• Promote Ethical Innovation - Partner with Innovation Enablement and Responsible AI teams to deploy emerging technologies responsibly and effectively.
• Champion a Culture of Innovation - Share best practices, lessons learned, and market insights to foster continuous learning across the firm.
• Support Strategic Growth - Contribute to the firm's innovation strategy, roadmap, and portfolio while collaborating cross-functionally on evolving priorities.

What You'll Bring

• Education - Juris Doctor (JD) or Master of Laws (LLM), required.
• Experience - 5+ years in a law firm or customer-facing role with a legal technology vendor, required.
• Technology Leadership - Proven experience leading enterprise software implementations from evaluation through deployment.
• Platform Knowledge - Familiarity with legal tech platforms, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), automation, contract lifecycle management (CLM), and business intelligence tools.
• Process Improvement Skills - Background in legal practice process optimization and workflow automation; no-code or low-code platform experience preferred.
• Change Management - Experience with structured change management approaches preferred.
• Communication Excellence - Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with confidence presenting to attorney audiences.
• Professionalism and Collaboration - High degree of accuracy, accountability, and ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Mindset - Self-starter with strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills; able to exercise independent judgment and critical thinking.

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:

• New York City: $153,000 - $211,000
• Chicago: $153,000 - $191,000
• Washington D.C.: $153,000 - $211,000
• Boston: $153,000 - $211,000
• Bay Area: $153,000 - $220,000
• Los Angeles: $153,000 - $211,000

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. #LI-Hybrid #LI-AR1