AI-Forward Junior Commercial Lawyer; PQE | Project

We’re looking for a junior legal professional with a strong foundation in commercial law and a genuine interest in legal technology. If you’re passionate about how AI, automation, and legal tech can transform the way contracts are reviewed, negotiated, analysed, and delivered, this role is designed for you.

In this position, you’ll work at the intersection of commercial law, legal operations, and emerging technology. You’ll support contract management processes, contribute to legal tech and AI‑driven initiatives, and gain hands‑on experience with cutting‑edge tools, including AI‑powered contract review and contract lifecycle management systems.

If you’re tech‑driven and motivated to help shape the next wave of legal delivery while deepening your experience with commercial contracts, we’d love to hear from you.

Cognia seamlessly extends corporates, banks and law firms’ legal capability to deliver sustainable outcomes. Our goal is to connect the legal sector, moving it from a siloed approach to integrated partnerships. We help in-house legal teams by bringing simplicity to complex matters and replacing broken procedures with efficient processes.

Cognia is a Chambers-ranked law company which integrates how legal services are provided so our team, partners, clients and communities thrive together with people at the heart of what we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole self to work and focus on enabling them to realise their full potential.

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Key responsibilities could include, but is not limited to,

• Review, draft, and support negotiation of a range of commercial agreements (NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, vendor/supplier contracts, licensing agreements, etc.).
• Use AI and legal tech tools to speed up and enhance contract review accuracy.
• Conduct contract analysis to ensure compliance with internal policies, best practice, and data privacy regulations (incl. GDPR).
• Contribute to template optimisation, playbook updates, and workflow improvements within our contract lifecycle management (CLM) environment.
• Identify legal and commercial risks and support the development of practical mitigation strategies.
• Assist in contract remediation or regulatory compliance projects.
• Produce clear, concise, tech‑enabled contract summaries and abstractions for stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with legal teams, project managers, procurement, and cross‑functional delivery teams.

Requirements

• BA Law, LLB, LLM, or BCom Law degree from a South African tertiary institution
• 1-3 years of experience in commercial law.
• A genuine interest in legal technology, AI tools, and process improvement.
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management (CLM) automation and legal workflows.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to work in high-volume, fast-paced environments.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort working with multidisciplinary teams.
• Someone who’s proactive, curious, and excited to build a career in next‑gen legal services.

Apply if you’re keen to grow your legal career and become part of the next evolution of legal delivery. We’d love to meet you.