Virtual Open Source Research Jobs in Chicago, IL

Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP is a nationally recognized Am Law 200 law firm with over 500 attorneys servicing clients in 40 offices and 22 states seeking an experienced Legal Research Manager to join the firm in any of its office locations. The Legal Research Manager is an integral member of Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP's Knowledge Management Team and reports directly to the Director of Knowledge Management. This role serves as the firm's primary resource for legal research solutions and supports the firm's commitment to practical innovation, continuous improvement, and the effective use of knowledge and technology. The Legal Research Manager supports attorneys, paralegals, and business professionals through legal research expertise, product ownership, training, vendor management, analytics, and continuous improvement initiatives. A key focus of the position is driving adoption, maximizing value, and ensuring effective use of legal research tools to support exceptional client service.

The following set of success factors describe the characteristics of those who are successful in our Firm:

• Helpful, Congenial, Personable, Positive
• Unpretentious, Approachable, Respectful, Team Oriented
• Accountable, Takes Ownership, Corrects Mistakes
• Organized, Timely, Confidential, Responsive (within 24 hours)

Duties and Responsibilities:

Legal Research & Solution Expertise

• Serve as the firm's primary in-house resource for research workflows, including complex legal research, citation validation, negative-history review, and primary and secondary source research.
• Develop and maintain saved searches, alerts, templates, quick-reference materials, and best-practice guidance to support consistent and efficient research practices.

Product Ownership, Adoption & Training

• Own and execute the legal research product roadmap in alignment with firm priorities, user needs, and Knowledge Management objectives.
• Evaluate new features and functionality, coordinate pilot programs, manage release communications, and prioritize product enhancements, backlog items, and product opportunities.
• Develop training, adoption resources, product updates, and feedback channels for attorneys, paralegals, and other users, including support for a user-feedback structure.

Support, Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for legal research solution questions, product guidance, support triage, and issue escalation.
• Resolve user inquiries where appropriate and coordinate vendor or internal support matters through resolution, maintaining ownership of open issues and facilitating appropriate escalation and follow-up.
• Partner with vendor representatives, procurement, KM leadership, attorneys, paralegals, and business professionals to optimize product performance.
• Support business reviews, renewals, stakeholder communications, and vendor relationship management.

Analytics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor product adoption, user satisfaction, utilization trends, support metrics, and other relevant success measures.
• Prepare recurring reports, dashboards, and recommendations for Knowledge Management leadership and key stakeholders to support product decisions and strategic planning.
• Analyze usage data, feedback, and support trends to develop recommendations for training, research strategy, documentation, support processes, and product improvement.
• Other duties as required.

Education, Experience & Skills:

• J.D., MLIS, Paralegal Certificate, or equivalent legal research experience preferred.
• 3+ years of legal research experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, court, law library, or similar legal environment.
• Advanced proficiency with legal research solutions and legal research workflows, including citation validation, negative-history review, and primary and secondary source research.
• Strong understanding of research strategy, citation standards, and practical legal research methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage user support requests, issue escalation, and competing priorities while maintaining strong ownership and follow-through.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to explain research tools, product functionality, recommended workflows, and support guidance clearly to attorneys, paralegals, business professionals, vendors, and firm leadership.
• Ability to analyze usage data, feedback, support trends, and product information to identify patterns, risks, opportunities, and practical recommendations.
• Exceptional organizational skills, high attention to detail, strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Experience with Thomson Reuters products, including Practical Law, Drafting Assistant, Litigation Analytics, Quick Check, KeyCite, Precision, and related solutions is preferred
• Experience in Knowledge Management, Legal Technology, Legal Operations, Innovation, Change Management, Product Ownership, or related disciplines is preferred.
• Familiarity with backlog management, user research, pilot programs, release planning, roadmap communication, and adoption campaigns is preferred.
• Experience utilizing dashboards, surveys, utilization reports, and metrics to evaluate adoption, user satisfaction, and product effectiveness is preferred.

What We Offer You

• Competitive compensation
• Opportunity for growth and advancement within the firm
• Speaking and Writing Opportunities
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision
• Bar expenses paid by the firm
• HSA and FSA plans available for employees and dependents
• Generous PTO policy
• 401K plan including a 3% Employer Safe Harbor contribution
• Firm paid life insurance and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Year-end bonuses and referral fee programs

EEO Statement

Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP (FMG) is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees by maintaining a workplace free of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status as provided by law. FMG complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This position is subject to our drugfree workplace policy, which includes the ability to pass a preemployment drug screen. Employees may be subject to reasonablesuspicion drug testing in accordance with Firm policies outlined in the Employee Handbook.