Legal Associate Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Join Goodwin's Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world's most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team - all business professionals at the firm - you'll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.
Here, we're not just supporting a law firm; we're partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we're proud to have been recognised as the "Best Business Team" by The American Lawyer.
This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers.

Goodwin is seeking a Legal Engineer to help design and build the next generation of technology-enabled legal solutions. This role sits at the intersection of law, technology, and product development, and is ideal for someone who combines software engineering expertise with a deep understanding of legal workflows.

You will partner with lawyers, knowledge management, and Digital & Technology teams to develop innovative tools that make the practice of law more efficient, scalable, and data-driven-leveraging modern technologies including automation, AI, and advanced data platforms.

What You Will Do:

Product Development & Engineering

• Design, build, andmaintainscalable applications and tools that support legal workflows and client service delivery

• Develop solutions across areas such as document automation, knowledge systems, workflow orchestration, and legal data platforms

• Leverage emerging technologies (e.g., AI/LLMs, NLP, automation frameworks) to enhance legal service delivery

• Write clean, maintainable, and secure code across the full stack (front-end, back-end, APIs, integrations)

Legal Domain Translation

• Translate complex legal processes (e.g., deal workflows, case management, document drafting) into technical requirements and system designs

• Collaborate closely with attorneys and legal teams toidentifyinefficiencies and opportunities for innovation

• Ensure solutions align with legal standards, regulatory requirements, and risk considerations

Innovation & Product Thinking

• Contribute to ideation and rapid prototyping of new legal products and features

• Apply product thinking to prioritize features, iterate based on feedback, and drive user adoption

• Stay current on legal tech trends and bring forwardnew ideasto enhance the firm's capabilities

Integration & Architecture

• Integrate with enterprise systems (e.g., document management, practice management, knowledge systems)

• Design APIs and data models that enable interoperability and scalability

• Ensure solutions meet performance, security, and compliance standards

Collaboration & Delivery

• Work in agile, cross-functional teams including engineers, product managers, legal subject matter experts, andUXdesigners

• Participate in code reviews, testing, and deployment processes

• Contribute to documentation, training, and rollout of new tools

Who You Are:

• JD or prior experience practicing law (or equivalent deep legal domainexpertise)

• Experience with legal tech platforms (e.g.,iManage, NetDocuments,Litera, document automation tools)

• Familiarity with AI/ML, natural language processing, or LLM-based applications

• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP) and modern development frameworks

• Understanding of data privacy, security, and compliance considerations in legal environments

• Ability to bridge legal and technical domains

• Strong problem-solving and systems thinking

• Product mindset and user-centric design approach

• Effective communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Curiosity and passion for innovation in legal services

Preferred

• Demonstrated experience working with legal workflows, legal technology, or as a practicing attorney/paralegal with technicalexpertise

• Proficiencyin one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, C#)

• Experience building APIs, web applications, and system integrations

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Benefits and More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Life and disability insurance

• Retirement & Savings Plan

• Emergency back-up child and adult care

• Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays

• Professional development and career advancement opportunities

• Employee recognition and reward programs

• Employee wellness and assistance programs

• Employee discounts and perks