Director of Attorney Professional Development

The Director of Attorney Professional Development at Akerman will own the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of professional development programming for all attorneys firmwide, from junior associates through equity partners. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this newly created position reflects the firm's commitment to extending structured professional development beyond associates to include partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants.

About the Role

• Owns the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of professional development programming for all attorneys firmwide, from junior associates through equity partners.
• Builds programming that strengthens legal skills, leadership capabilities, business development acumen, and fluency with AI and emerging practice technologies.
• Works in close partnership with the Professional Development Council, Practice Group Chairs, the C-Suite, and the Akerman Intelligence platform to shape a firmwide culture of continuous growth at every career stage.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Partner, Of Counsel & Consultant Development:
• Collaborates with Practice Group Chairs to design and deliver professional development programming tailored to partners, of counsel, special counsel, and consultants, including leadership development, practice management, business generation, and client relationship skills.
• Builds programming that acknowledges the distinct developmental needs of senior attorneys, including transition to management responsibilities, cross-selling, succession planning, and adaptation to evolving practice technologies.
• Develops executive-level facilitation approaches appropriate for experienced professionals, including peer learning formats, structured coaching frameworks, and case-based workshops.
• Collaborates with the Lateral Partner Immersion Program Co-Chairs to ensure lateral partner hires receive ongoing professional development support beyond initial onboarding.
• Associate Development:
• Collaborates with the PDC to design and deliver a comprehensive curriculum for junior, mid-level, and senior associates aligned with Practice Group Chair benchmarks for progression.
• Works with the PDC and Legal Recruiting to support the Mentor Program by equipping mentors with training tools, resources, and accountability frameworks.
• Create structured development pathways that connect training milestones to associate advancement criteria.
• AI & Practice Technology Integration:
• Partners with the Akerman Intelligence platform to integrate AI fluency into professional development programming across all attorney levels.
• Design training that helps attorneys understand, evaluate, and effectively use AI and technology tools in their practices, including firm-approved platforms and emerging legal technology.
• Develop programming that addresses the practice transformation implications of AI, including workflow redesign, quality assurance, client communication about AI use, and ethical obligations.
• Leverage AI tools to enhance training design, delivery, and accessibility, including adaptive learning paths and on-demand resources.
• Firmwide Training Infrastructure:
• Facilitate live and virtual training sessions across skill domains including client management, leadership, financial literacy, and interpersonal effectiveness.
• Collaborate with C-Suite leadership to align training programming with firm strategic initiatives, including the Financial Fluency for Lawyers series and the Connections initiative.
• Create on-demand training content (e-learning modules, video resources, toolkits) to ensure accessibility for attorneys across all offices.
• Coordinate with third-party vendors to supplement internal programming as needed.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the PDC, Practice Group Chairs, and firm leadership on all matters related to attorney development.
• Measurement & Reporting:
• Develop and track performance indicators for training effectiveness, including participation rates, skill progression against benchmarks, and correlation with retention and engagement data.
• Provide regular reporting to the CHRO and firm leadership on program outcomes, emerging trends, and recommended adjustments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Learning & Development, Organizational Development, Communications, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Advanced degree or J.D. a plus.
• 10+ years of professional development, training, or talent development experience, with meaningful exposure to law firm or professional services environments.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering professional development for senior professionals (partners, executives, or equivalent), not solely junior or associate populations.
• Track record of building programming that drives measurable behavioral change, not just completion metrics.
• Experience with change management and the organizational dynamics of introducing new development expectations to populations that have not historically participated in structured training.
• Familiarity with how AI and technology are reshaping professional services delivery; direct experience integrating technology-related content into development curricula strongly preferred.
• Experience in an AmLaw 100 or comparable professional services environment preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Executive presence and credibility sufficient to engage equity partners and senior leaders as a development resource, not solely as a training coordinator.
• Ability to design and deliver engaging, interactive programming for both virtual and in-person audiences at all levels of seniority.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build trusted relationships across a large, geographically distributed organization.
• Proficiency with video conferencing tools and the Microsoft 365 suite.
• Willingness to travel to Akerman offices for in-person programming as needed.

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package. Please submit your resume, cover letter, and salary requirements.

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