Director of Attorney Professional Development

Akerman LLP•Chicago, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Akerman is seeking a Director of Attorney Professional Development. This is a newly created position reflecting the firm’s commitment to extending structured professional development beyond associates to include partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants. The Director will build programming that strengthens legal skills, leadership capabilities, business development acumen, and fluency with AI and emerging practice technologies. Working in close partnership with the Professional Development Council, Practice Group Chairs, the C-Suite, and the Akerman Intelligence platform, this role will shape a firmwide culture of continuous growth at every career stage.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Learning & Development, Organizational Development, Communications, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
10+ years of professional development, training, or talent development experience, with meaningful exposure to law firm or professional services environments.
Demonstrated experience designing and delivering professional development for senior professionals (partners, executives, or equivalent), not solely junior or associate populations.
Track record of building programming that drives measurable behavioral change, not just completion metrics.
Experience with change management and the organizational dynamics of introducing new development expectations to populations that have not historically participated in structured training.
Familiarity with how AI and technology are reshaping professional services delivery; direct experience integrating technology-related content into development curricula strongly preferred.
Proficiency with video conferencing tools and the Microsoft 365 suite.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or J.D. a plus.
Experience in an AmLaw 100 or comparable professional services environment preferred.
Executive presence and credibility sufficient to engage equity partners and senior leaders as a development resource, not solely as a training coordinator.
Ability to design and deliver engaging, interactive programming for both virtual and inperson audiences at all levels of seniority.
Strong facilitation, communication, and presentation skills.
Ability to build trusted relationships across a large, geographically distributed organization.
Willingness to travel to Akerman offices for in-person programming as needed.

Responsibilities

In collaboration with Practice Group Chairs, design and deliver professional development programming tailored to partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants, including leadership development, practice management, business generation, and client relationship skills.
Build programming that acknowledges the distinct developmental needs of senior attorneys, including transition to management responsibilities, cross-selling, succession planning, and adaptation to evolving practice technologies.
Develop executive-level facilitation approaches appropriate for experienced professionals, including peer learning formats, structured coaching frameworks, and case-based workshops.
Coordinate with the Lateral Partner Immersion Program Co-Chairs to ensure lateral partner hires receive ongoing professional development support beyond initial onboarding.
In collaboration with the PDC, design and deliver a comprehensive curriculum for junior, mid-level, and senior associates aligned with Practice Group Chair benchmarks for progression.
Work with the PDC and Legal Recruiting to support the Mentor Program by equipping mentors with training tools, resources, and accountability frameworks.
Create structured development pathways that connect training milestones to associate advancement criteria.
Partner with the Akerman Intelligence platform to integrate AI fluency into professional development programming across all attorney levels.
Design training that helps attorneys understand, evaluate, and effectively use AI and technology tools in their practices, including firm-approved platforms and emerging legal technology.
Develop programming that addresses the practice transformation implications of AI, including workflow redesign, quality assurance, client communication about AI use, and ethical obligations.
Leverage AI tools to enhance training design, delivery, and accessibility, including adaptive learning paths and on-demand resources.
Facilitate live and virtual training sessions across skill domains including client management, leadership, financial literacy, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Collaborate with C-Suite leadership to align training programming with firm strategic initiatives, including the Financial Fluency for Lawyers series and the Connections initiative.
Create on-demand training content (e-learning modules, video resources, toolkits) to ensure accessibility for attorneys across all offices.
Coordinate with third-party vendors to supplement internal programming as needed.
Serve as the primary liaison between the PDC, Practice Group Chairs, and firm leadership on all matters related to attorney development.
Develop and track performance indicators for training effectiveness, including participation rates, skill progression against benchmarks, and correlation with retention and engagement data.
Provide regular reporting to the CHRO and firm leadership on program outcomes, emerging trends, and recommended adjustments.