Remote Legal Research Jobs
As law students in the middle of our legal studies, like everyone else, we are waiting for life to return to normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is never a productive exercise to wait. Better to find a way to recognize what the situation offers, i.e., more time at home, and formulate some course of action to take advantage of it. Several employment opportunities related to legal research are available online at this time.
A remote legal research job involves researching case law, statutes, opinions, treatises, and other law from the comfort of home. Legal researchers may collect information from both private and public data resources for anything that may affect the disposition of an issue or case. Further, not only does a legal researcher collect information, he or she must organize, summarize, and present it in the required form as directed by the principal law firm or legal department.
Remote legal researchers may be required to communicate with clients and collect information from them throughout a project. They may also communicate with adverse parties to update relevant information, respond to discovery requests, and coordinate discovery deadlines with both parties’ attorneys. Like jobs for attorneys, many remote legal research jobs require work on specific types of legal matters since they all require a different approach. A securities case requires different research experience than a personal injury matter.
Remote legal researchers rarely appear in court, which is an optimal job during the pandemic. The contracting attorney will usually make available any access his or her firm has to online legal resources such as Lexis or Westlaw. It may be an understatement to say that there is also an abundance of free legal resources online.
While the primary qualifications for a remote legal research position vary by attorney, practice, and firm, most employers require full-time applicants to have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active licensure in a jurisdiction within the United States. Of course, any experience is a plus and some employers may strongly prefer that applicants have previous experience performing legal research. Despite this, the number of jobs is not insignificant and law students should find remote, part-time opportunities for which they qualify
Legal researchers must not only fulfill their duties and responsibilities using remote resources, but they must also possess the ability to manage a schedule, communicate effectively with other legal professionals, and have a fast, reliable internet connection. Time zone differences may require unusual hours early in the morning or late at night, so flexibility is an essential skill that may help an applicant stand out from the crowd.
The California Desert Trial Academy College of Law was founded with the philosophy of not only teaching students the substantive law, but on training, educating, and developing students to be exceptional attorney-advocates. The development of trial advocacy tools is essential to success in any judicial or administrative setting. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.