KM Legal Research Manager

KM Legal Research Manager

The KM Legal Research Manager serves as the day-to-day leader of the legal research team within the firm's Knowledge Management & Innovation Department. This role is responsible for supervising a team of legal research analysts, managing workflow and research operations, and ensuring that the team consistently delivers high-quality, cost-effective research to attorneys and practice groups across the firm. The KM Legal Research Manager reports to the Director of KM Legal Research and works to align research capabilities with the firm's strategic priorities.

Essential Functions

Team Leadership and Management: The KM Legal Research Manager provides direct one-on-one supervision of all legal research team analysts. This includes conducting regular check-ins and performance reviews, setting individual goals aligned with departmental objectives, and providing ongoing mentorship and professional development guidance. The Manager fosters a collaborative, service-oriented team culture and serves as the primary point of escalation for personnel, capacity, and other matters within the legal research team. The Manager is also responsible for making hiring and staffing recommendations, onboarding new team members, and managing day-to-day staffing needs such as scheduling, workload balancing, best practices, and leave coordination.

Research Queue and Workflow Management: The KM Legal Research Manager oversees the end-to-end management of the legal research request and Monitoring queue and works in conjunction with other KM Research Manager(s) to oversee the All-Teams queues. This includes receiving, triaging, and scoping incoming research requests in consultation with requesting attorneys to clarify objectives, deliverable formats, and timelines. The Manager assigns and circulates requests to analysts based on subject-matter expertise, capacity, and development opportunities, and monitors project progress to ensure that all deadlines are met. The Manager is expected to manage competing priorities and implement workflow processes and tools that promote efficiency and transparency across the research function.

Quality Control and Cost Efficiency: The KM Legal Research Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining rigorous quality-control standards for all legal research work product. This includes reviewing newer analysts' and periodic/as-needed review of current staff's research responses, annotations, use of AI, and other deliverables prior to distribution, ensuring accuracy, thoroughness, and alignment with the requesting attorney's objectives. The Manager also oversees the team's use of research platforms, databases, and other vendor tools, evaluating cost-effectiveness.

Training, Best Practices, and Knowledge Sharing: The KM Legal Research Manager develops and implements structured training plans for all research analysts, covering both foundational research skills and advanced topics such as new database functionality, emerging legal technology tools, and practice-area-specific research methodologies. The Manager creates and maintains written best practices, style guides, and standard operating procedures for the research team, and ensures that these materials are regularly updated to reflect evolving firm needs and industry standards. The Manager also coordinates continuing education opportunities, facilitates knowledge-sharing sessions within the team, and identifies opportunities to leverage new tools and technologies to enhance research capabilities.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (J.D., M.L.S., or related field) preferred.

Experience: Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in legal research, law librarianship, or a closely related field, with at least two years of direct supervisory or management experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: Expert-level proficiency with major legal research platforms, including but not limited to Westlaw, Lexis+, and Bloomberg Law, as well as experience with AI platforms and features, including but not limited to Westlaw AI, Harvey, Copilot, and knowledge management systems and emerging legal technology tools. Strong written and verbal communication skills, exceptional organizational abilities, and a demonstrated commitment to service excellence are essential. The candidate should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities simultaneously, and collaborating with attorneys and staff at all levels of the firm. Experience working in an Am Law 100 or Am Law 200 law firm preferred.

Leadership and People Management: Strong leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop a team of skilled professionals.

Project and Queue Management: Sound judgment in scoping and prioritizing research assignments, a keen eye for quality and detail, and a strategic mindset oriented toward continuous improvement.

Analytical and Creative Thinking: Strong critical thinking, problem-solving skills with data-driven decision-making and attention to detail.

Adaptability and Flexibility: Comfort with shifting priorities, tight deadlines, and evolving client needs.

Communication and Presentation: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex findings to diverse audiences.

Client Service Orientation: Commitment to responsiveness, professionalism, and delivering high-quality work product.

Industry Observance: Legal industry trends in knowledge management and research services is highly valued.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

This job operates in a clerical, office setting and offers a hybrid work arrangement. Some travel may be required. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Physical requirements include sedentary work: exertion of physical strength to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 10 pounds. Work involves sitting most of the time. Walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this position reflects a variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, education, licensure and/or certifications, geographic location, market demands and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for a position. A reasonable estimate of the current range for this position is $115,000 to $160,000.