Innovation Lawyer – Litigation - U.S. Offices

Firm Information

Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters.

Our team of 3,000 people (including more than 1,600 lawyers) across more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, operate as one global partnership to drive progress for our clients, for ourselves and for our communities.

The Innovation Lawyer – Litigation, will play a key role in advancing the firm’s use of generative AI and other legal technologies to support litigation practices. Drawing on significant litigation experience, this role will work closely with attorneys to identify high-impact opportunities for AI-enabled solutions that improve efficiency, consistency, and client service.

As a member of the Innovation Department, the Innovation Lawyer will design and scale practice-specific workflows, contribute to knowledge management initiatives, support strategic planning, and help drive adoption of emerging tools. This position requires strong legal acumen, comfort with evolving technology, and the ability to translate practice needs into practical, scalable solutions.

While Chicago is listed as the primary posting location, the firm welcomes applications from qualified candidates interested in any of our U.S. office locations.

• Partner with litigation attorneys to identify and implement high-value applications of generative AI and other innovative technology, grounded in a deep understanding of their work, clients, and industries.
• Design, promote, and scale practice specific, AI enabled workflows in collaboration with colleagues across the firm’s Innovation Department.
• Gather feedback, assess needs, and identify opportunities to streamline core litigation activities, such as legal research, brief drafting, motion practice, e discovery, fact development, and knowledge management, through responsible AI use.
• Participate in practice group management teams and technology focused working groups, and lead or support pilots of emerging AI solutions, bringing the perspective of a litigator.
• Support knowledge management for litigation practices by using AI to make knowledge more accessible and scalable, including developing a process for attorneys to: (1) collect material from relevant matters (historical and new), (2) leverage Firm AI tools to extract key data, (3) review output for accuracy, and (4) save the results in Foundation.
• Serve as a conduit between the Innovation Department and Reed Smith Legal Solutions on matters affecting litigation attorneys.
• Design and deliver practice aligned onboarding, training, and communications that build confidence, reduce friction, and drive adoption of new tools; facilitate presentations, demos, and learning sessions that showcase practical, real world AI applications for litigation.
• Act as a change champion for litigation practices through ongoing engagement, coaching, and reinforcement with attorneys and group leaders.
• Support Innovation Department strategy and budgeting functions in collaboration with attorneys.
• Serve as a subject matter resource on generative AI solutions for litigation, evaluating their impact and supporting effective adoption.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job duties and responsibilities included are not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary. Reed Smith reserves the right to revise or modify job duties and responsibilities at any time.

Education: J.D. from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school or an equivalent law degree from a non‑U.S. institution.

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a litigation attorney in a law firm, or as an innovation attorney with a focus on litigation practices.
• Experience designing or implementing…