Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
What is a research attorney and how to become one
Research attorneys, sometimes called research lawyers, conduct legal research in order to help their clients know how to proceed. Some research attorneys work in courts and research past rulings to help judges decide how they should rule in a case. Other research attorneys work for private firms and past research cases to help build a client's current case. Research attorneys can also consult for private businesses such as tech companies to make sure that they are following all legal regulations. No matter where they work, research attorneys need excellent legal analysis skills and strong writing skills to effectively summarize their findings.
Like all other attorneys, research attorneys must be licensed as attorneys by their state. That means that they need to have a bachelor's degree, a Juris Doctorate, and then have passed the bar. They usually need a few years of work experience as well.
However, those long years of hard work certainly paid off. On average, research attorneys make $85,243 a year.
What general advice would you give to a Research Attorney?
Andrea Schneider
Professor of Law, Marquette University
Avg. Salary $92,154
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 10%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%
Asian 6.37%
Black or African American 5.54%
Hispanic or Latino 7.77%
Unknown 4.38%
White 75.64%
Genderfemale 56.27%
male 43.73%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Research Attorney career paths
Key steps to become a research attorney
Explore research attorney education requirements
Start to develop specific research attorney skills
Skills 
Percentages Litigation 17.33% Legal Issues 12.35% Legal Memoranda 8.98% Appeals 6.53% Legal Support 5.03% Complete relevant research attorney training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research attorneys learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a research attorney based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research attorney resumes.Research research attorney duties and responsibilities
- Supervise and manage plaintiff's personal injury practice.
- Conduct legal research for criminal trials and appeals.
- Review and analyze deeds, leases, probate records, mortgages, mineral reservations, and other applicable legal instruments.
- Focus on: personal injury, probate, estate planning, construction contracts and liens, domestic relations, etc.
Prepare your research attorney resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research attorney resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a research attorney resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Research Attorney Resume templates
Build a professional Research Attorney resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Research Attorney resume.
Apply for research attorney jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a research attorney job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Research Attorney Job
Are you a Research Attorney?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average research attorney salary
The average Research Attorney salary in the United States is $92,154 per year or $44 per hour. Research attorney salaries range between $58,000 and $146,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do research attorneys rate their job?
Research Attorney reviews
As a civil litigation defense attorney I love the fact that every day is different. I enjoy assisting clients who have a problem to solve that problem in the most cost effective way, and how to avoid such problems in the future. I like that I basically set my own work schedule (other than court dates).
Billing hours. Unscrupulous opposing counsel. Occasional biased judges who do not follow the law.
Updated January 8, 2025
