Baker McKenzie

The Lawyer, Applied AI Practice will partner with specialist Practice Groups across the Firm to design and deliver advanced AI-enabled legal services for clients. The individual will work on complex, cross-practice, and often first-of-kind challenges that require speed, insight, and delivery models beyond traditional legal service approaches.

The role-holder will work with partners across the Firm to support clients with end-to-end, AI-integrated services tailored to the specific contours of a matter – combining legal expertise, AI workflows, and commercial design. Our solutions are designed to scale and have been recognized by clients, peers, and industry observers for their sophistication, practical impact, and contribution to how AI is applied across the legal sector.

Main responsibilities:

Client Service & Legal Delivery:

• Support senior colleagues in designing and delivering AI-enabled services across multiple transactional, contentious, and advisory domains
• Participate in client scoping sessions to understand legal, commercial, and technical constraints
• Apply foundational legal analysis – issue-spotting, reasoning, risk framing – to shape workflow logic
• Help develop matter-specific workflows using reusable frameworks built by the team
• Review/test AI outputs using legal first principles; refine prompts and workflow steps; escalate risks as appropriate
• Assist with developing client-facing deliverables and internal documentation – including structured workflows, prompt frameworks, version-controlled service materials, and communication assets

Workflow Design, Evaluation & Technical Collaboration:

• Build and maintain datasets, test sets, evaluation criteria, and quality controls
• Conduct structured testing to drive workflow accuracy, reliability, and defensibility
• Collaborate with technical team members to articulate and translate legal reasoning into executable workflows.
• Document assumptions, safeguards, and logic to support scalable deployment

Commercial Support & Business Development:

• Assist in preparing clear, useful proposals and materials for client sessions
• Support the articulation of client value, delivery approach, and matter economics
• Participate in pitches and client-facing workshops with appropriate supervision

Practice Support & Growth:

• Spot opportunities to streamline delivery, improve workflow design and enhance team capabilities
• Proactively communicate capacity, next steps, progress blockers and know when to escalate governance or other operational issues
• Stay current on emerging AI trends, tools and frameworks
• Contribute to the design of new AI-enabled services responding to emerging client needs

Skills and experience:

• Juris Doctor (JD) or foreign equivalent, and U.S. State Bar membership
• Experience in a leading law firm, service provider, or in-house legal team
• Strong legal analysis, drafting, and judgment skills
• Demonstrated interest in AI and legal technology
• Experience using advanced AI models or tools for legal work (professional, academic, or self-directed)
• Comfortable working with datasets, evaluation methods, and structured workflows
• Technically curious; coding experience not required
• Proactive, self-directed, and delivery-focused
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and solving novel problems
• Clear communicator across legal and technical contexts
• Organized and steady under competing priorities
• Collaborative with a low-ego approach
• Exercises strong judgment in evolving situations
• Curious, adaptable, and motivated to learn new ways of working
• Operates with quiet urgency – focused on outcomes, calm under pressure, and committed to building something new

Location: Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Palo Alto

Reports to: Applied AI Founder/Director, with day-to-day supervision and support from the wider Applied AI team

Travel requirements: Global travel may be required

Position type: Specialist

Development framework: Specialist

At Baker McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave. With our team of 13,000 people, including over 6,500 locally admitted lawyers, in over 70 offices worldwide, we have a passionately collaborative community of 60 nationalities and are committed to world-class career development to everyone in every job at every level. Baker McKenzie can offer you both the uncompromising commitment to excellence expected of a top firm paired with a passionately global and genuinely collaborative working environment.

Baker McKenzie is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for all. Our unique international culture is reflected in the drawing together of a worldwide family of individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds in all of our offices. We encourage the best people - regardless of race, religion or belief if any, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or age - to fulfill their professional aspirations with us. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates. Should candidates require any reasonable adjustments and/or accommodations when applying to or interviewing with our Firm, please notify recruitmentservices@bakermckenzie.com 

This position is bonus-eligible and offers comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k) plans, based on the number of hours worked.

If located in Chicago, New York or California, the US base compensation for this position is expected to be in the range of $225,000 - $260,000. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

California notice: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories (arrest and conviction records), in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.