AI Developer

About the Role: AI Developer

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is seeking an AI Developer to join its De Novo Innovation Incubator team. This role involves designing and building intelligent applications that integrate generative AI, data, and legal process expertise. You'll collaborate with partners, practice-group leaders, and data engineers within De Novo to transform innovative ideas into practical products, making legal work more efficient and client-centric.

This is a hands-on engineering position for an individual who thrives on the creative interplay between innovation and delivery, moving from conceptualization to code, and from prototype to production. We offer a remote or hybrid work arrangement, requiring you to live within a reasonable commuting distance of one of our offices.

At Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, you'll find challenging assignments, opportunities for professional growth, community involvement, and an inclusive culture where every voice is valued.

On a Typical Day You Will:

• Architect, build, and deploy LLM-powered applications (Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, LangChain, etc.) that integrate with firm systems.
• Implement retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, prompt-management frameworks, and secure APIs.
• Collaborate with practice-group leaders to design solutions that enhance matter intake, document automation, and client collaboration.
• Translate legal and operational workflows into elegant, maintainable code.
• Partner with IT and data teams to ensure scalability, governance, and security.
• Document standards, mentor peers, and help define De Novo’s AI engineering culture.

Join Us If You Have:

• 3+ years in software development with strong experience in Python, TypeScript/Node.js, or C#.
• Practical knowledge of Azure AI, OpenAI API, Bedrock, or Claude; experience with vector databases (Pinecone, FAISS, Azure AI Search).
• Familiarity with RAG architectures, prompt engineering, and model evaluation.
• Proven ability to integrate AI with enterprise systems (e.g., M365, NetDocuments, 3E).
• Comfort working in rapid-prototype environments that iterate weekly.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills—able to talk code with engineers and value with lawyers.

About De Novo And Davis Wright Tremaine LLP:

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (DWT) is an AmLaw 100 firm recognized for its award-winning culture of innovation. Through De Novo, our in-house incubator, we design and build next-generation solutions at the convergence of clients, law, and operations, where technology amplifies human expertise and transforms the practice of law.

DWT has a history of fostering developers' growth, enabling them to expand their skills and even launch their own ventures. Many alumni have gone on to lead innovation labs, found startups, and receive industry recognition for advancing legal technology. We are currently expanding our AI development team within De Novo to design and scale intelligent systems that empower lawyers, staff, and clients in the age of generative AI.

Why Davis Wright Tremaine LLP & De Novo?

• Mission: Build legal technology where clients, law, and operations converge.
• Culture: A proven launchpad for innovators, with developers growing into entrepreneurs, leaders, and award winners.
• Access: Work directly with firm leadership and the CIO to shape the firm’s AI strategy.
• Impact: See your solutions deployed across an AmLaw 100 firm and its clients.

What’s in it for You?

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP offers competitive compensation alongside comprehensive benefits, including but not limited to:

• Choice of health and vision insurance plans
• 2 paid volunteer days for qualifying community service work
• Dental plan
• Fertility and adoption benefit
• Paid sabbatical after 13 years of service
• Tuition reimbursement
• Commuter benefits
• Retirement contribution

Compensation & Benefits by Location:

Washington State: The annualized salary range for this position in Washington is $184,000 to $209,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on the candidate’s education, training, experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full-time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, 11 paid holidays each year and an employee assistance program. For full-time employees, the initial vacation benefit is 15 days per year and 11 days of sick leave per year, accrued bi-weekly. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available.

California (Los Angeles): The annualized salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $184,000 to $209,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full-time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available.

California (San Francisco): The annualized salary range for this position in San Francisco is $203,000 to $230,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full-time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available.

New York City: The annualized salary range for this position in New York City is $222,000 to $239,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full-time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, short term disability, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available.

District of Columbia: The annualized salary range for this position in Washington D.C. is $184,000 to $208,000. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. Full-time employees may be eligible for a bonus, health insurance with an optional HSA, short term disability, long term disability, dental insurance, vision care, telemedicine and virtual short term solution based counseling services, life insurance, Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, subsidized backup care and caregiving resources, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary programs include: voluntary accident insurance, voluntary life, voluntary disability, voluntary long term care, and pet insurance. Commuter and Transit programs are also available.

Key skills/competency:

• Generative AI
• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Python
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Azure OpenAI
• AWS Bedrock
• Prompt Engineering
• Legal Technology
• Enterprise Systems Integration
• Software Development