Director of Attorney Professional Development

Akerman LLP•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Akerman, a prominent law firm with over 700 lawyers across 25 U.S. offices, is seeking a Director of Attorney Professional Development. This new role, reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, is responsible for creating, implementing, and enhancing professional development programs for all attorneys, from junior associates to equity partners. The position reflects the firm's dedication to structured development for all legal professionals, including partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants. The Director will focus on building programs that improve legal skills, leadership abilities, business development, and proficiency with AI and new technologies. In collaboration with the Professional Development Council, Practice Group Chairs, C-Suite, and the Akerman Intelligence platform, this role aims to foster a culture of continuous growth throughout an attorney's career.

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 significant exposure to law firm or professional services environments.
Demonstrated experience designing and delivering professional development for senior professionals (partners, executives, or equivalent).
Track record of building programming that drives measurable behavioral change.
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.
Executive presence and credibility to engage equity partners and senior leaders.
Ability to design and deliver engaging, interactive programming for virtual and in-person audiences at all levels of seniority.
Strong facilitation, communication, and presentation skills.
Ability to build trusted relationships across a large, geographically distributed organization.
Proficiency with video conferencing tools and the Microsoft 365 suite.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or J.D.
Direct experience integrating technology-related content into development curricula.
Experience in an AmLaw 100 or comparable professional services environment.
Willingness to travel to Akerman offices for in-person programming as needed.

Responsibilities

Design and deliver professional development programs for partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants, focusing on leadership, business generation, and client relations.
Develop programming that addresses the unique needs of senior attorneys, including management transitions, cross-selling, succession planning, and adapting to new technologies.
Create executive-level facilitation approaches, such as peer learning, coaching, and workshops, for experienced professionals.
Collaborate with the Lateral Partner Immersion Program to ensure ongoing professional development support for new lateral partners.
Design and deliver a comprehensive curriculum for associates, aligned with Practice Group Chair benchmarks.
Support the Mentor Program by providing training tools, resources, and accountability frameworks for mentors.
Create structured development pathways that link training milestones to associate advancement criteria.
Integrate AI fluency into professional development programs for all attorney levels in partnership with the Akerman Intelligence platform.
Design training on understanding, evaluating, and using AI and technology tools in legal practice.
Develop programming on the implications of AI for practice transformation, including workflow redesign, quality assurance, client communication, and ethical considerations.
Utilize AI tools to improve training design, delivery, and accessibility, such as adaptive learning paths and on-demand resources.
Facilitate live and virtual training sessions on client management, leadership, financial literacy, and interpersonal skills.
Align training programs with firm strategic initiatives, such as the Financial Fluency for Lawyers series and the Connections initiative.
Create on-demand training content, including e-learning modules and video resources.
Coordinate with third-party vendors to supplement internal programming.
Serve as the primary liaison between the Professional Development Council, Practice Group Chairs, and firm leadership on attorney development matters.
Develop and track performance indicators for training effectiveness, including participation, skill progression, retention, and engagement.
Provide regular reports to the CHRO and firm leadership on program outcomes, trends, and recommendations.