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Description

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking a Research Specialist who will report to the firm’s Research Services Manager.

The Research & Information Services department is critical to the firm’s day-to-day strategic and tactical operations. Our Research Specialists are highly skilled in providing actionable insights which are used to make informed legal and business decisions. 

We are looking for a forward-thinking, proactive, analytical and confident individual with impeccable research skills, business acumen and acute attention to detail, who thrives in a fast paced, team-oriented environment, and is passionate about the profession. The Research Specialist will have strong interpersonal skills and will be required to form relationships with members of the firm around the globe and have exposure to all types of legal and business work.

The Research Specialist can work a hybrid schedule residing from our Dallas, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, or New York office. The hours for each location would be:

New York: 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., M-F
Dallas/Houston: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F
Philadelphia/Washington, DC: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., M-F

Key responsibilities of this position include: 

• Analyzes and distills information to provide actionable intelligence from internal and external resources for the firm’s attorneys, marketing/business development teams, and additional business services teams.
• Initiates and develops strong relationships with designated practice groups [Intellectual Property, Tax, Public Law & Policy, and Government Contracts practices] in order to actively collaborate with stakeholders, promote the efficient use of resources, and work together towards common goals.
• Monitor industry developments and curate intelligence in order to alert key stakeholders of critical legal and commercial events.
• Partner with practice group stakeholders in the assessment of resources, identifying opportunities and making recommendations for purchase and cancellation.
• Attend, initiate, and participate in team and practice group meetings
• Provide back-up coverage in the event of other department staff member absences
• Develop/Schedule and follow-up on training for attorneys, paralegals and others, including initial skills assessment and on-boarding processes. We utilize a variety of training media including in-person sessions and on-demand videos
• Maintain awareness of current legal and business research materials, techniques, strategies and resources; build research skills in new areas of the law and new technologies
• Assist in resolving technical problems and issues, as appropriate
• Undertake work to support ad hoc firm and practice group initiatives, as assigned
• Handle administrative and other projects, as assigned

Qualifications (Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities): 

• Bachelor's degree required
• Master of Library Science degree and/or J.D. from accredited institution preferred
• Minimum of 2 years law firm, business or relevant research experience
• Exceptional analytical and research skills including familiarity with a wide range of legal and business materials found across multiple practices
• Substantive understanding of legal and business resources, its organization and availability in a multitude of formats
• Familiarity with – and enthusiasm for exploring – emerging technologies, their licensing methods, and their uses in improving research service provision
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Confident and approachable manner when communicating with all levels at the firm.
• Desire to proactively seek out and disseminate additional information and analysis, beyond that which may have been requested
• Creativity of thought when seeking solutions, collaborating with stakeholders and working towards the firm’s common goals
• Energetic and highly-motivated work ethic, and the desire to constantly seek out ways to improve knowledge and processes
• Strong working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint and Word, and document management systems
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, set priorities and see projects through to completion
• Demonstrates flexibility under pressure, and the ability to quickly and efficiently adapt to potentially competing priorities
• Ability to handle many tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work with a wide range of people in a team setting
• Ability to establish effective working relationships within the department, practice groups, office and firm
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with clients, vendors and others outside the firm
• Strong service orientation
• Commitment to professional growth