Knowledge & Innovation Counsel

McDermott Will & Emery•Austin, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Knowledge & Innovation Counsel (KIC) plays a key role in advancing the firm’s use of AI and legal technologies by combining knowledge management, solution development, user enablement, and hands-on support to drive meaningful adoption and measurable impact across practice groups. This is a substantive, practice-embedded role built for a modern model of knowledge management in the age of AI. The KIC serves as the primary point of contact for one or more assigned practice groups on all things knowledge and AI, setting the strategic direction for AI and knowledge initiatives within those groups, curating practice expertise so that AI can put it to work, partnering with the firm’s Applied AI team to develop and customize practice solutions, guiding attorneys to the tools and technology solutions best suited to a given task across the lifecycle of a matter, supporting substantive and technical training that builds real comfort and fluency with AI, driving innovation and AI adoption within the assigned practice group(s), and representing the Innovation function to practice group leadership and other senior firm stakeholders. This position operates independently and leverages substantial legal and technical experience, sound judgment, and strong relationship-building skills to shape, execute, and scale AI-enabled solutions across the firm. The Firm is looking to hire a KIC to support each of the following practices: - IP - Regulatory (including AT and DP&C) - Private Client & Tax - Business Restructuring - Energy - Real Estate - Financial Institutions

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from accredited university
At least six (6) years of practice experience and/or knowledge management experience, with substantive knowledge and practice experience directly aligned with the assigned practice
Demonstrated interest in and working familiarity with the firm’s AI platforms (e.g., Harvey, Claude, ChatGPT, CoCounsel, Copilot) and how they apply to legal work in the practice area
Experience working with other practice technology and knowledge platforms (e.g., Practical Law and Practical Guidance, litigation analytics tools, brief analyzers, deal closing tools, document automation tools, data extraction tools, etc.)
Ability to translate practice group needs into requirements for prompts, agents, and workflows, and to translate resulting technical capabilities into practical guidance attorneys can use
Ability to partner effectively with both attorneys and the firm’s technology team to deliver practical, high-value solutions
Strong communication and facilitation skills, with experience delivering training and driving user adoption
Experience or aptitude structuring and curating legal knowledge and work product so it can be effectively used, including by AI systems
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities using data to inform decisions
Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment while contributing to team-based innovation efforts
Strong problem-solving skills and a commitment to responsive, service-oriented user support
Ability to handle and maintain confidential information
Ability to learn new concepts and skills quickly
Prior experience mentoring, training, or supervising junior attorneys or professional staff
Demonstrated track record leading AI or knowledge management initiatives

Nice To Haves

Experience creating or refining prompts, agents, or workflows using AI tools is a plus

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact and face of the Innovation function within one or more assigned practice groups, building strong working relationships with attorneys to understand their workflows, substantive needs, and knowledge gaps.
Serve as a go-to resource for associates seeking guidance or the knowledge that expertise produces, providing access to relevant knowledge assets and practice solutions in the course of their day-to-day work.
Collaborate with attorneys, clients, and cross-functional teams to identify high-value use cases and contribute to the design and deployment of AI and technology solutions that enhance legal service delivery.
Guide attorneys on which AI tools and technology solutions are best suited to different stages and tasks across the lifecycle of a matter, drawing on familiarity with the firm’s general AI platforms (e.g., Harvey, Claude, ChatGPT, CoCounsel, and Copilot) as well as practice-specific point solutions.
Make customizations to prompts and workflows that make AI genuinely useful in the group’s day-to-day work, and translate practice group needs into clear requirements for the Applied AI team when a fully custom or agentic build is warranted.
Contribute meaningfully to both substantive legal training and training on AI tools for the practice group, leading group and one-on-one sessions and proactively identifying skill and comfort gaps to build attorney confidence.
Structure and curate the practice group’s precedents, playbooks, and institutional knowledge to support that work, keeping assets organized, well-maintained, and readily usable by attorneys.
Monitor developments in AI and legal technology as well as the practice group’s substantive area, identifying opportunities to improve legal work product and client service.
Create and distribute current awareness updates that connect legal, industry, and AI developments to what they mean in practice for the practice group.
Gather and analyze usage data and attorney feedback to identify training and development opportunities, ensuring technology initiatives align with practice group priorities and firmwide objectives.
Support broader innovation projects and collaborate with international offices as needed, including flexibility to accommodate work outside standard U.S. business hours.
Mentor and provide guidance to Knowledge & Innovation Attorneys or analysts supporting the practice group(s).
Represent the practice group's AI and knowledge priorities in discussions with practice group leadership and firm management.
Set priorities for AI and knowledge initiatives within the assigned practice group(s), balancing firmwide strategy with practice-specific needs.