IP Research Specialist

Overview

A legal services organization is seeking a Research Specialist to join its Library and Research Department. This is a full-time, fully remote position open to candidates based anywhere in the United States. The Research Specialist will provide high-quality legal research and retrieval services to support law firm clients, with a focus on intellectual property (IP) research.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth legal, business, and other research using both legal and non-legal information resources.
• Perform effective reference interviews and synthesize findings into clear, concise, and actionable reports.
• Evaluate information sources for currency, reliability, relevance, and cost-effectiveness; select appropriate tools and databases.
• Maintain expertise across a broad range of legal, business, legislative, analytics, and docket resources, including Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, PACER, WK VitalLaw, and Lex Machina.
• Utilize request tracking software to manage, process, and document research tasks efficiently and accurately.
• Stay current with developments in legal research through professional development and participation in library associations.

Requirements

• MLS (Master of Library Science) or equivalent experience in legal research within a law firm, academic law library, special library, or research center. J.D. preferred.
• 5-7 years of professional research experience in a private law firm, academic law library, special library, or research-focused organization.
• Strong working knowledge of legal and business information sources, including online database searching, legal research techniques, and business intelligence gathering.
• Demonstrated experience using Lexis, Westlaw, and other core legal research platforms.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple deadlines while maintaining responsiveness and attention to detail.
• Excellent client service orientation with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Highly organized with effective time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a service-oriented team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in intellectual property research, supporting attorneys and legal teams on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and related areas.
• Familiarity with specialized IP research tools such as Darts-IP, LexisNexis TotalPatent One, Derwent Innovation, USPTO databases, Saegis, and other IP resources.
• Knowledge of global IP filings, prosecution histories, and litigation analytics.

Compensation & Benefits

Details regarding compensation and benefits are not specified.

Location

This is a fully remote position open to candidates based anywhere in the United States.