Senior Practice Innovation Advisor

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

The Senior Practice Innovation Advisor plays a key role in advancing the firm's practice technology initiatives by evaluating, implementing, and supporting innovative legal technology solutions within practice groups. The Senior Practice Technology Advisor works closely with practice groups, IT teams, and vendors to identify opportunities for technology adoption, conduct successful pilot programs, and ensure the seamless integration of new technologies into practice group workflows. This role requires a deep understanding of legal practice needs and the ability to translate them into effective technology solutions that enhance attorney efficiency and client service.

Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Technology Innovation & Assessment
  • Proactively identify, evaluate, and recommend innovative legal technology solutions
  •  Work alongside practice groups to identify technology improvement opportunities
• Pilot Program Management
  • Design and execute comprehensive pilot programs for new legal technologies
  • Collaborate with team members to establish pilot success metrics
• Technology Implementation
  • Coordinate cross-functional implementation teams, including IT, Legal Knowledge Management, and practice group representatives
  • Provide expertise and oversight on complex workflow establishment
  • Follow established security and governance protocols during technology implementation
• Training & Change Management
  • Build enthusiasm for technology adoption through demonstration of value
  • Develop training strategies while collaborating to educate attorney teams on available technology
  • Review adoption metrics gathered by the team and collaborate on improvement strategies
• Ongoing Support & Optimization
  • Provide advanced technical support and coordinate with vendors for resolution when necessary
  • Partner with team members to identify adoption optimization opportunities 
• Team Leadership
  • Lead project teams for technology implementations and special initiatives
  • Foster knowledge sharing within the team through collaborative approaches
• Vendor Management
  • Establish and maintain relationships with technology vendors
  • Negotiate vendor agreements in collaboration with the Director and Procurement
  • Collaborate with team members on tracking vendor updates and testing
  • Advocate for firm needs with vendor product development teams

ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality of the firm's internal matters and client information
• Proactive problem-solving mindset with the ability to anticipate issues and develop preventative measures
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value
• Excellent project management abilities with experience leading cross-functional teams
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels, from associates to partners
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to adapt messaging to different audiences
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and adapt to changing demands
• Proven leadership capability Customer service-oriented approach with a focus on user experience and adoption

Qualifications

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree required
• 8+ years of experience in legal technology, with at least 3 years focused on innovation and emerging technologies
• Strong understanding of legal practice workflows and requirements
• Demonstrated experience implementing and supporting AI-powered legal technology solutions
• Experience designing and managing technology pilot programs
• Experience with vendor management
• Proven track record of successful technology implementation and user adoption
• Experience in change management and technology training
• Experience leading project teams

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in a large law firm environment
• Experience with generative AI platforms and their application in legal workflows
• Familiarity with contract analysis tools, document management systems, and matter management platforms
• Knowledge of project management methodologies

Compensation and Total Rewards Package

Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.

Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., & Los Angeles: $150,100 - $240,150

New York City: $161,000 - $257,600

Working Conditions

This position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.