Legal Engineer

Goodwin•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Goodwin is seeking a Legal Engineer to help design and build the next generation of technology-enabled legal solutions. This role sits at the intersection of law, technology, and product development, and is ideal for someone who combines software engineering expertise with a deep understanding of legal workflows. You will partner with lawyers, knowledge management, and Digital & Technology teams to develop innovative tools that make the practice of law more efficient, scalable, and data-driven—leveraging modern technologies including automation, AI, and advanced data platforms.

Requirements

JD or prior experience practicing law (or equivalent deep legal domain expertise)
Experience with legal tech platforms (e.g., iManage, NetDocuments, Litera, document automation tools)
Familiarity with AI/ML, natural language processing, or LLM-based applications
Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP) and modern development frameworks
Understanding of data privacy, security, and compliance considerations in legal environments
Ability to bridge legal and technical domains
Strong problem-solving and systems thinking
Product mindset and user-centric design approach
Effective communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Curiosity and passion for innovation in legal services

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience working with legal workflows, legal technology, or as a practicing attorney/paralegal with technical expertise
Proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#)
Experience building APIs, web applications, and system integrations

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain scalable applications and tools that support legal workflows and client service delivery
Develop solutions across areas such as document automation, knowledge systems, workflow orchestration, and legal data platforms
Leverage emerging technologies (e.g., AI/LLMs, NLP, automation frameworks) to enhance legal service delivery
Write clean, maintainable, and secure code across the full stack (front-end, back-end, APIs, integrations)
Translate complex legal processes (e.g., deal workflows, case management, document drafting) into technical requirements and system designs
Collaborate closely with attorneys and legal teams to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for innovation
Ensure solutions align with legal standards, regulatory requirements, and risk considerations
Contribute to ideation and rapid prototyping of new legal products and features
Apply product thinking to prioritize features, iterate based on feedback, and drive user adoption
Stay current on legal tech trends and bring forward new ideas to enhance the firm’s capabilities
Integrate with enterprise systems (e.g., document management, practice management, knowledge systems)
Design APIs and data models that enable interoperability and scalability
Ensure solutions meet performance, security, and compliance standards
Work in agile, cross-functional teams including engineers, product managers, legal subject matter experts, and UX designers
Participate in code reviews, testing, and deployment processes
Contribute to documentation, training, and rollout of new tools