Legal Process Improvement Lead

Michael Best is seeking an analytical, technologically fluent, and change-oriented professional to serve as our Legal Process Improvement Lead. This role is charged with designing, leading, and embedding sustainable operational improvements that elevate client service delivery, drive cost-effective legal work, and foster a culture of continuous innovation across the firm’s practice areas. While initial projects will focus on the Patent Prosecution Group, the scope will expand to include other legal practice areas.

The ideal candidate brings 7 years of hands-on experience in process improvement, familiarity with AI concepts and workflow applications, and a collaborative mindset capable of uniting diverse legal and business stakeholders around strategic initiatives. Deep expertise in intellectual property is not required; familiarity with legal processes across multiple practice areas is valued.

Core Responsibilities

Process Analysis & Optimization

• Design, lead, and embed sustainable operational improvements that elevate client service delivery, drive cost-effective legal work, and foster a culture of continuous innovation across practice areas.
• Conduct current-state assessments of practice workflows (e.g., matter intake, document drafting, filing, client reporting, and other legal support processes).
• Design future-state processes leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable methodologies to leverage technology, increase efficiency, reduce risk, and compress cycle times.
• Create and maintain detailed process maps, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and playbooks to institutionalize best practices.
• Utilize disciplined project-management protocols (scope, timeline, resource allocation, communication cadence) in project execution.

Innovation Strategy

• Partner with the Chief Legal Operations Officer and Practice Group Leadership to shape and execute an innovation roadmap that aligns with firmwide strategic objectives
• Prioritize and sequence projects, balancing quick wins with long-term transformation goals.

Technology & AI Integration

• Collaborate with IT and other stakeholders to evaluate, select, and deploy AI-driven tools and complementary legal tech platforms as part of a team effort.
• Monitor emerging legal technologies and industry trends to inform innovation roadmap.
• Support the integration of these technologies and promote adoption through targeted training, user support, and continuous feedback loops.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management

• Facilitate workshops with practice management, timekeepers, knowledge managers, and client representatives to capture pain points and co-design solutions.
• Craft and execute change-management plans, including communications, training, and reinforcement, to drive lasting behavioral adoption.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Establish KPIs and dashboards to track innovation outcomes and ROI.
• Provide regular briefings to the CLOO, Practice Group Leaders, and firm leadership outlining progress, barriers, and next-step recommendations.
• Institutionalize a feedback mechanism for continuous refinement of processes and technologies.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Together with the Security Team, ensure all redesigned processes comply with legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations, particularly in IP, data privacy, and confidentiality.
• Support periodic audits and implement controls to mitigate operational risk.

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Legal Studies, Information Systems, or related field.
• 7 years of progressive experience driving innovation, operational transformation, and change within legal, professional-services, or technology-enabled environment.
• Familiarity and understanding of AI and advanced analytics solutions in legal workflows or similar types of workflows.
• Proficiency with process-mapping software.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder-management skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Familiarity with legal operations framework and legal processes and terminology across multiple practice areas is a plus but not required.
• Certification in Lean, Six Sigma, PMP, LPIP, LPP, or comparable methodologies strongly preferred.
• Exposure to knowledge-management, legal research tools, and document-automation platforms.
• Ability to understand and address ethical issues related to using AI in legal practice.

Performance Success Indicators

• Measurable improvement across a variety of performance metrics to include reductions in matter turnaround time, cycle time and cost per matter and increased task automation rate and technology adoption within targeted practice groups within the first 18 months.
• Successful adoption rates, as determined by project, of newly implemented AI or automation tools.
• Improved internal satisfaction scores from attorneys and staff regarding support.
• Demonstrated reduction in manual tasks through automation and AI deployment.
• Achievement of targeted ROI thresholds for innovation projects as approved by the Chief Legal Operations Office.

The Company

This is an opportunity to work with the Best. We are Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP. We are a full-service law firm with more than 350 lawyers and technical professionals who work in collaborative, interdisciplinary practices to serve clients around the world.

We work with companies in all kinds of industries, as well as trade associations, nonprofits, educational institutions, governments, family trusts, and high-net-worth individuals. Since our firm’s founding in 1848, we’ve continuously evolved to meet our clients’ changing needs and expectations. One thing remains the same: For generations, clients have relied on Michael Best for exceptional legal service and business acumen.

Location and Compensation

We have offices in Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison, Manitowoc, Waukesha); Illinois (Chicago); Utah (Salt Lake City); Colorado (Denver, Broomfield); Texas (Austin); North Carolina (Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Wilmington); California (Los Angeles); Nebraska (Lincoln) and Washington DC. Our contemporary office spaces are ideal for concentration and collaboration; supporting our culture of working together to make great things happen for our Clients. This position could be based out of the following offices: Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Madison, Milwaukee, Raleigh, or Salt Lake City with the expectation that you would travel to Midwest offices on a regular basis.

Anticipated compensation for this position is $125,000 to $200,000, depending on experience and location.

Why You Should Apply

At Michael Best, we are proud to offer a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewards package that provides a variety of resources designed to enhance its employees’ overall well-being, both at work and at home. Competitive base pay, outstanding benefits, opportunities for learning and growth, programs designed to help you plan for the future, and perks that inspire your downtime are all part of our total compensation package.

To be considered for this position, please submit an application via our online portal.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Michael Best Strategies LLC, and Michael Best Consulting LLC (collectively known as "Michael Best") are steadfastly committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination based upon age, race, religion, color, disability, marital status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact our Recruiting team at 414.225.4999 or careers@michaelbest.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.