Overview

As Littler's Chief Knowledge Officer, Scott D. Rechtschaffen supports the firm's efforts to provide innovative client services by integrating new technologies and work processes and enabling attorneys and clients to access the collective knowledge and experience of the firm's more than 1,000 attorneys. He combines over 35 years of experience representing companies in every area of labor and employment law with a broad understanding of technology to help the firm's attorneys and their clients to develop solutions that enhance the firm’s ability to deliver legal information and legal services to its clients.

Scott heads the firm’s Knowledge Management Department (KM) comprising dedicated, full-time knowledge management attorneys, who are all experienced in employment and labor law, along with technologists, research specialists and administrative support. The KM Team supports the firm's attorneys, practice groups and major firm initiatives. He has been a key member of the multi-disciplinary teams that developed the award-winning Littler CaseSmart® approach to legal case management and Littler Edge, the firm’s comprehensive knowledge-centered client portal.

In addition, Scott is responsible for the firm's Executive Employer® Conference, an annual gathering of in-house counsel and human resources professionals representing some of the country's leading organizations. He was the co-creator of Winning Through Prevention: The Littler Employment Law Challenge, an innovative teaching tool designed to enhance the training of managers and supervisors.

Scott is the co-founder of ComplianceHR, an innovative joint venture launched in 2015 by Littler and Neota Logic, a legal software company. ComplianceHR leverages Littler’s unparalleled experience and knowledge of employment law with the power of Neota Logic’s expert systems to provide a transformative suite of online compliance solutions for HR and legal professionals.

Previously, Scott served as Senior Vice President of Learning for ELT, the nation's premier provider of on-line employment law training services. He founded the Littler Learning Group, a division of Littler that provides innovative compliance training solutions worldwide.

Scott has written extensively and has published articles in national publications on human resources management, knowledge management and legal technology. He regularly speaks at knowledge management seminars and legal technology conferences organized by the American Bar Association's Law Practice Management Section, Association of Corporate Counsel, American Lawyer Media, Legal Marketing Association, International Legal Technology Association, ARK Group and other professional organizations.

In 2018, Scott was appointed as an adjunct professor at Cornell Law School where he teaches legal technology at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

For his outstanding achievements in the field of knowledge management, Scott has been awarded the Distinguished Peer Award as KM Champion of the Year by International Legal Technology Association, the legal industry’s leading voice on technology in law firms. In 2014, he was named to the Fastcase 50, an annual compilation, "honoring the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders” and the Financial Times named Scott among the ten most innovative lawyers in North America. In the same year, he was inducted as a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management, a peer-nominated honor bestowed on law practice management specialists, "who consistently exemplify the highest professional standards and achievements" over at least a 10-year period. In 2020, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the College of Law Practice Management.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Labor and Employment Law Section and Law Practice Management Section

American Bar Association

Member

Labor Law Section

State Bar of California

Member

Bar Association of San Francisco

Member, Board of Trustees

College of Law Practice Management

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America©

2024-2025

Named, Ten Most Innovative Individuals

North America Innovative Lawyers Report

Financial Times

2014

Recipient, Serial Innovator Award

The Recorder

2015

Recipient, Innovator Award

The Recorder

2014

Named, Fastcase 50

Fastcase

2014

Recipient, Distinguished Peer Award

Knowledge Management Champion of the Year

International Legal Technology Association

2011

Fellow

College of Law Practice Management

Inducted 2014

News, Analysis & Press

The Evolution of HR and Compliance

SHRM Online

June 6, 2023

Old Problems, New Solutions

The Modern Lawyer

April 26, 2018

Let's Stop with the Robot-Lawyer Memes

International Legal Technology Association

August 1, 2017

4 Ways Firms Can Be More Tech-Forward

Law360

November 14, 2016

2015 Innovator Awards: ComplianceHR

The Recorder

December 4, 2015

2015 Innovator Awards: Scott Rechtschaffen

The Recorder

December 4, 2015

Two Events - Two Views of Innovation

International Legal Technology Association

December 17, 2014

Ahead Of The Curve: Three Big Innovators In Big Law

The Legal Whiteboard

August 24, 2014

For Littler Mendelson, a Game Changer

The Recorder

March 11, 2013

InnovAction Awards Honor Creative Efficient Gains

Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report

October 1, 2012

Building a successful knowledge management program

InsideCounsel

September 1, 2012

The Commodity vs. Premium Work Debate: Observations on the Transcendent Role of KM

International Legal Technology Association

June 2011

Are Law Firms Long-Term Greedy Enough?

ABA Journal

February 3, 2011

Leveraging Online Systems: Identifying Opportunities To Deliver Legal Services More Effectively

Annual Techshow Conference - American Bar Association

2010

Books & Book Chapters

  • Innovation as a Business Development Strategy, The Client Experience – How to Optimize Client Service and Deliver Value, Globe Law and Business, 2021
  • A History of Knowledge Management at Littler Mendelson, Legal Informatics, Cambridge University Press, 2021
  • Innovation as a Business Development Strategy, Strategic Innovation as an Emerging Firm Function, ARK Group, 2018
  • Innovation as a Business Development Strategy, Law Firm KM: Driving Practice Innovation and Redefining Service Delivery, ARK Group, co-authored with Jim Durham, 2016
  • Employee Handbook: Expert Legal Software, Lawgic Publishing Company, contributor, 1997
  • Employee Handbooks: How To Write One For Your Company, California Chamber of Commerce, primary author, 1994

Speaking Engagements

2023 Littler AI Summit

Washington, DC

September 21, 2023

Technology & Innovation in the Legal Industry: How Developments are Changing the Roles & Responsibilities of In-House Counsel

Association of Corporate Counsel Asia-Pacific Xchange Conference

June 17, 2021

The Coming Disruption of Legal Services: The Role of Knowledge Professionals & Technology

Northern California Association of Law Libraries 2021 Spring Institute

April 29, 2021

Best Practices from Pioneers of Innovative and Integrated Law Firm Technologies

Legal Marketing Association Tech West Conference

April 26, 2021

Unshackling KM: Supporting Legal Service Delivery or Your Business Model

Ark Group’s Annual Knowledge Management in the Legal Profession Conference

October 20, 2020

How a Dynamic KM Infrastructure will Help Future-Proof Your Firm (even in the event of a pandemic)

Ark Group’s Annual Knowledge Management in the Legal Profession Conference

October 19, 2020

Legal Apps Competition

December 6, 2019

Innovation Success Stories

2019 ILTACON International Legal Technology Association, Orlando, FL

August 21, 2019

Teaching Attorneys to Fish: The Impact of Expert Systems

SOLID West, San Francisco, CA

February 28, 2019

The Future of Legal Services: Staying Competitive & Collaborative Amidst Growing Client Pressures

2019 LegalCIO Conference, New York, NY

January 29, 2019

Avoid the Shiny Object – Why the Use Case is More Important than the Technology

Ark Group’s Annual Knowledge Management in the Legal Profession Conference, New York, NY

October 24, 2018

Keynote Panel: Stories of Innovation – People, Perspective, Persistence

2018 ILTACON International Legal Technology Association, National Harbor, MD

August 22, 2018

Small Projects with Big Impact

2017 ILTACON International Legal Technology Association, Las Vegas, NV

August 15, 2017

Emerging Business Models & Growth Opportunities for Law Firms

Legalweek West 2017, San Francisco, CA

June 12, 2017

Riding the Wave of Change to Meet Client Needs More Efficiently

Legalweek West 2017, San Francisco, CA

June 12, 2017

Identifying What Really Matters: Positioning the IT Department as a Strategic Asset in the Law Firm

LegalCIO Conference, New York, NY

February 2, 2017

Inaugural Canada Conference

Toronto, ON

November 21, 2016

Innovative New Law Firm Products

2016 Legal Marketing Technology Conference/West

October 5, 2016

From the Front Lines: Actual Jobs in “New Law”

2016 Annual Education Conference, International Legal Technology Association, National Harbor, MD

August 29, 2016

The Path Forward: Technology Tools That Work

Gro Pro 20/20: The Future of Professional Services Strategy

June 14, 2016

Convince the Lawyers: How to Make the Case for the Disruptive Impact of New Technology

12th Annual Law Firm Chief Information & Technology Officers Forum, New York, NY

February 3, 2016

Pioneering Law Firms: Breakthroughs and Efficiencies in Service Delivery

2016 New York Conference – LegalTech

February 2, 2016

KM & Marketing: True Partnership or Marriage of Convenience

Ark Group’s Annual Knowledge Management in the Legal Profession Conference, New York, NY

October 21, 2015

Fail Forward: Failure As A Foundation for Success

2015 Annual Education Conference – International Legal Technology Association, Las Vegas, NV

September 2, 2015

Careers in Legal Technology

From Revolution to Evolution: Digital Tools in Law Practice - Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC

April 23, 2015

The Legal Industry Inflection Point: The Time for Innovation is Now!

2014 Annual Education Conference – International Legal Technology Association, Nashville, TN

August 20, 2014

The Rise of Expert Systems: Threat or Opportunity to Traditional Legal Services

2014 Annual Education Conference – International Legal Technology Association, Nashville, TN

August 18, 2014

It’s a Failure Party! How to Celebrate These Learning Opportunities

2014 Annual Education Conference – International Legal Technology Association, Nashville, TN

August 18, 2014

IT: The Catalyst

2014 New York Conference - LegalTech

February 4, 2014

Should You Create Innovative Online Legal Products for Clients

2013 Annual Educational Conference - International Legal Technology Association, Las Vegas, NV

August 22, 2013

IT: The Catalyst

2013 Annual Educational Conference - International Legal Technology Association, Las Vegas, NV

August 19, 2013

If We Could Build it From Scratch, What Would We Do?

Annual Knowledge Management for the Legal Profession Conference - Managing Partner Magazine

October 24, 2012

Beyond Extranets! What Clients Really Want

2012 Annual Conference - International Legal Technology Association

August 27, 2012

Projects Furthering Innovation: A Follow Up With Two 2011 Distinguished Peer Award Winners

International Legal Technology Association Webinar

March 29, 2012

IT & Knowledge Management Working Together: Greenfield Perspectives

Legal IT Forum 2011

October 13, 2011

How KM Supports Innovative Service Delivery

2011 Annual Conference - International Legal Technology Association

August 24, 2011

How Can Law Firms (and KM) Profit from the Commoditization of Legal Services and an Increased Client Demand for Value

Annual Knowledge Management for the Legal Profession Conference - Managing Partner Magazine

October 22, 2009

Self-Service Contract Creation: Providing Better Service in a World of Frozen Budgets

2009 Annual Meeting - Association of Corporate Counsel

October 19, 2009

KM from a Practicing Attorney Perspective

LegalTech New York 2009

February 2, 2009

Online Social Networking – A Virtual Cocktail Party

10th Annual Legal Marketing Association Technology Program: Back to the Future

September 10, 2008

An Expansive View of Knowledge Management

Annual Knowledge Management for the Legal Profession Conference - Managing Partner Magazine

October 25, 2007

KM – Beyond Document Management

Knowledge Management for the Modern Law Firm Conference - ARK Group

February 22, 2006

What’s really in your information systems? Various approaches to effectively mine, aggregate and understand our intellectual capital

KM for the Legal Profession Conference - ARK Group

October 5, 2005

Education

  • J.D., Cornell University Law School, 1984
  • A.B., University of California, Berkeley, 1981

Bar Admission

California