Intern (Practice Innovation)

Location: New York or Washington, DC Schedule:DC: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through FridayNY: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through FridayFLSA: Non-ExemptPosition Type: InternshipOur FirmAkin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking several Interns to support our Practice Innovation team within the Information Technology department.Our Summer Internship ProgramAkin's Summer Internship Program offers students a comprehensive experience that combines meaningful, hands-on work with opportunities to learn and develop professionally in a supportive, high-performing environment that values innovation, excellence and collaboration. In addition to the opportunities outlined below, the Intern will participate in targeted learning and development programs designed to offer deeper insight into life at a global law firm and sharpen practical skills for future success.Our Summer Internship Program runs from Monday, June 1st through Thursday, August 6th. Start and end dates can be flexible based on school schedules.Your OpportunityThe Practice Technology & Innovation team is seeking three interns to support different but complementary areas of innovation, technology, and process improvement within the firm. Interns will help drive the firm's efforts to evaluate, implement, and promote emerging legal technologies and workflows, including AI-powered solutions, automation, and practice efficiency tools. As part of the Practice Innovation team, Interns will have the opportunity to work directly on projects that focus on and leverage automation and AI. Interns will also have the opportunity to collaborate with the Practice Innovation team to identify additional project opportunities that target personal development goals. Ideal candidates are naturally curious, eager to learn new processes and technologies.While all interns will be part of the broader Practice Innovation team, each role has a distinct focus area. Candidates may be considered for one or more of the internships based on skills and interests.The Intern should reside within a reasonable commuting distance to the New York or Washington, DC office. Please make note if you will be in New York or Washington, DC for the summer.Key responsibilities of this position include:Internship #1 (Washington, DC):Support a practice group-specific project focusing on automation development and configuration to assemble content, apply topic/audience rules, and generate email or memo drafts for review and human-assisted final revision.Assist in researching and evaluating AI-driven legal technology, including tools for client matter research and related drafting deliverables.Support pilot programs by gathering user feedback, tracking adoption metrics, and assessing impact.Contribute to change management initiatives, helping attorneys and business professionals integrate AI into their workflows.Prepare reports and presentations on innovation technology adoption strategies and success stories.Develop training materials and user guides to support technology rollout efforts.Internship #2 (Washington, DC):Assist in researching and evaluating AI-driven legal technology, including tools for document automation, contract analysis, and litigation support.Support pilot programs by gathering user feedback, tracking adoption metrics, and assessing impact.Contribute to change management initiatives, helping attorneys and business professionals integrate AI into their workflows.Prepare reports and presentations on technology findings, AI trends, and adoption strategies.Develop training materials and user guides to support technology rollout efforts.Collaborate with IT, Knowledge Management, and Innovation teams on firmwide technology initiatives.Stay informed on emerging AI and legal technology trends and help assess their potential impact on legal practice.Internship #3 (New York):Explore the future of legal tech by researching and evaluating cutting edge AI and legal technology tools.Get hands on experience supporting pilots, testing new solutions, and helping bring them into real world use.Build practical AI skills by helping design use cases, prompts, templates, and simple automations.Turn ideas into playbooks by documenting workflows, technical setups, and best practices.Support adoption and training by creating clear user guides and training materials.Learn from real users by gathering feedback, tracking usage metrics, and helping tell the story through reporting.Play a key supporting role on firmwide initiatives that directly impact how our legal professionals work.Qualifications (Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program; preference for students studying business, legal studies, data analytics, computer science, or a related fieldStudents currently enrolled in a JD program with career interest in legal tech are invited to applyInterest in AI, legal technology, and digital transformationProficiency in Windows operating systems and Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint; experience with data analysis tools or AI technologies is a plusExperience building Power Automate flows, custom agents in Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.Excellent oral and written communication skillsGood interpersonal skills and the ability to deal effectively with all levels of personnel and work collaboratively across all firm departmentsAbility to work independently, creatively and proactivelyStrong attention to detail, proven organizational skills, and ability to follow instructions with high degree of accuracyAbility to work concurrently on long-term projects and short-term tasks with a solutions-oriented approach and meet deadlines and milestones for projects assignedStrong client service orientationCommitment to maintaining confidentiality of client, firm and personnel information, and adhering to the Firm's Core ValuesThe hourly range for this position in Washington, DC is $20.50 to $22.50/hr.The hourly range for this position in New York is $21.50 to $24.50/hr.Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP participates in E-Verify for purposes of verifying employment eligibility