Senior Software Engineer, Legal — CoCounsel Forward Deployed Engineering

Thomson Reuters•Frisco, TX

2d•$94,900 - $203,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Thomson Reuters is hiring a Senior Software Engineer (Legal) on our CoCounsel Forward Deployed Engineering team. In this role, you will help design, build, and deploy bespoke AI solutions for law firms and corporate legal departments, turning architectural direction into robust, production-ready systems that legal professionals can trust. You'll work closely with AI engineers and cross-functional partners to deliver high-impact solutions that shape how legal work gets done. In this opportunity as a Senior Software Engineer (Legal), you will act as the connective interface between legal professionals — both customer-facing legal teams and internal legal subject matter experts — and the engineering team, anticipating and interpreting their needs, identifying and delivering solutions that leverage the right technologies, while establishing strong, ongoing customer relationships. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and AI engineers, breaking down customer requirements into work the team can execute, and continuously updating your knowledge of state-of-the-art development tools, AI techniques, and legal technology trends. Develop software solutions by studying information needs, conferring with legal users, investigating problem areas, and following the software development lifecycle — from system specifications through documentation and demonstration. Write clean, secure code to established specifications, managing technical debt and building scalable solutions through DevOps practices, Infrastructure as Code, and robust unit testing (TDD). Evaluate non-deterministic AI outputs for legal accuracy, relevance, and reliability, applying advanced legal prompt/loop engineering to optimize AI solution performance in partnership with legal and product teams. Mentor and guide junior software engineers through code reviews, advice, coaching, and training on modern technologies, including legal-domain AI applications, while leading routine projects using Agile/Scrum methodologies. Deliver end-to-end technical solutions for multiple products or complex projects for legal clients, leading routine projects with manageable risks and resources, and solving complex problems with minimal guidance. Work in a hybrid capacity from an assigned office location, with occasional (and rare) travel to customer sites as needed.

Requirements

A JD or formal legal training, or equivalent depth of experience in a legal practice environment, with fluency in legal terminology from working directly within or alongside legal teams.
5+ years of software engineering experience, with proficiency in Python and a track record of building production-grade software.
Strong understanding of AI/LLM evaluation methodologies, along with strong prompt engineering skills — the ability to design, iterate, and optimize LLM prompts for specialized legal domain tasks.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with both lawyers and engineers on technical and legal concepts alike.
Comfort working independently, navigating ambiguity, and presenting at client workshops or knowledge-sharing sessions in a fast-paced environment.
A growth mindset and adaptability in a rapidly evolving technology landscape, with the ability to mentor others using Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Experience with legal platforms or SaaS solutions is a plus.

Responsibilities

Act as the connective interface between legal professionals — both customer-facing legal teams and internal legal subject matter experts — and the engineering team, anticipating and interpreting their needs, identifying and delivering solutions that leverage the right technologies, while establishing strong, ongoing customer relationships.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams and AI engineers, breaking down customer requirements into work the team can execute, and continuously updating your knowledge of state-of-the-art development tools, AI techniques, and legal technology trends.
Develop software solutions by studying information needs, conferring with legal users, investigating problem areas, and following the software development lifecycle — from system specifications through documentation and demonstration.
Write clean, secure code to established specifications, managing technical debt and building scalable solutions through DevOps practices, Infrastructure as Code, and robust unit testing (TDD).
Evaluate non-deterministic AI outputs for legal accuracy, relevance, and reliability, applying advanced legal prompt/loop engineering to optimize AI solution performance in partnership with legal and product teams.
Mentor and guide junior software engineers through code reviews, advice, coaching, and training on modern technologies, including legal-domain AI applications, while leading routine projects using Agile/Scrum methodologies.
Deliver end-to-end technical solutions for multiple products or complex projects for legal clients, leading routine projects with manageable risks and resources, and solving complex problems with minimal guidance.

Benefits

Hybrid Work Model
Flex My Way
work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year
Career Development and Growth
Grow My Way programming
flexible vacation
two company-wide Mental Health Days off
access to the Headspace app
retirement savings
tuition reimbursement
employee incentive programs
resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing
Globally recognized, award-winning reputation for inclusion and belonging, flexibility, work-life balance, and more.
two paid volunteer days off annually
opportunities to get involved with pro-bono consulting projects and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
market competitive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs
competitive 401k plan with company match
competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off
paid holidays
parental leave
sabbatical leave
optional hospital, accident and sickness insurance paid 100% by the employee
optional life and AD&D insurance paid 100% by the employee
Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts
fitness reimbursement
access to Employee Assistance Program
Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit paid 100% by employee
access to 529 Plan
commuter benefits
Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance
Tuition Reimbursement
access to Employee Stock Purchase Plan