US Contracts & Compliance Legal Fellow

AdaCore: Helping Developers Build Software that Matters
Everything we do at AdaCore is centered around helping developers build safe, secure and reliable software.

For 30 years, we've partnered with global leaders in aerospace & defense, air traffic management, space, railway and financial services. We've developed tools and services simplifying high-integrity software development through a subscription-based model. As demand for secure applications grows in industries like automotive, medical, energy, and IoT, we're adapting our proven technologies to assist a new generation of developers.
Our +190 global experts based in the US, France, Germany, the UK, and Estonia, collectively develop cutting-edge technologies to address the challenges of high-grade software development.
Joining AdaCore is about joining a culture of innovation, openness, collaboration and dependability, which defines how we work together, with our customers and partners.
 

Context
Ada Core Technologies Inc. (“AdaCore”) is launching a one-year Legal Fellowship for a recent law graduate looking to build a career in commercial contracts, compliance, and in-house legal practice. Working directly alongside our legal team in the US and EU, the Fellow will get hands-on training across the full contract lifecycle, compliance program development, and legal operations — the kind of broad, practical exposure that's hard to find in a first legal role, while also contributing to developing and scaling these operations.

This fellowship is designed for someone early in their legal career who wants mentorship, real responsibility, and a clear path toward specialization in commercial and technology law.

Goals
 

Compliance Exposure

• Assist in developing and documenting legal department procedures, and drafting supporting material (e.g., contract templates, policies and procedures, and forms)
• Get introduced to key regulatory areas — federal contracting regulations (FAR/DFAR), data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, and state privacy laws), and export controls (EAR) — with training and mentorship from the legal team
• Help build and run company-wide legal training programs, including scheduling and coordination with Human Resources – includes some light content/video editing

Contracts

• Learn to draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements — NDAs, licensing agreements, MSAs, SOWs, framework agreements, and more — under the guidance of experienced attorneys
• Partner with the Revenue team to understand how legal decisions connect to business outcomes  
• Opportunity to shadow negotiations with US customers, gradually taking on more independent contract work as skills develop

Legal Team & Operations

• Be fully involved in legal team meetings and workflows, gaining insight into how an in-house legal department runs day-to-day
  Support any rollout of legal tools 
• Learn the mechanics of legal request intake and triage, including preparing documents for e-signature
• Provide flexible support to legal team members across the US and EU, building relationships across a global team

Required Skills

• Juris Doctor (JD)
• Coursework or clinic/internship exposure to contract, business, or technology law
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, cross-functional, international environment
• Eagerness to learn independently and take on responsibility as skills grow
• Basic familiarity with common office and collaboration tools (Google Suite, Microsoft Office); willingness to learn tools like DocuSign, Jira, and CLM platforms

Nice-to-Have 

• Interest in government procurement law
• Interest in IP law, software licensing, including open-source licensing
• Interest in corporate law
• Interest in export control regulations
• Interest in international or EU law
• Bar admission (Not Required)

Timeframe 
Jan 2027 - Dec 2027

 

Beyond the job

We're a global organization driven by diverse backgrounds, fostering innovation through an open exchange of ideas. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity in ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, religion, abilities, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status. 
Our commitment is to help our teammates, wherever they are based, feel comfortable and satisfied, by encouraging flexibility to ensure them a healthy work-life balance. Additionally, we prioritize individual development by offering continuous training from day one with a personalized onboarding plan.

Salary range: 90-100k/year

For more information about our recruitment process, visit our FAQ.