Head of Legal Research & Knowledge Innovation

Thompson Coburn LLP; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Vision Insurance

Dental Insurance

Life Insurance & ADD policies

Short & Long Term Disability Insurance

Paid Parental Leave

401(k) Profit Sharing plans

Parking/Transportation Stipend

Section 125 Plan

Paid Holidays/PTO

Annual Discretionary Bonus

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Employee Wellness Program

Tuition Reimbursement

College Savings Plan Deductions (529)

Long Term Care

Job summary

Thompson Coburn LLP seeks a Director of Research and Knowledge Services to lead a multi-state firm’s library and knowledge functions from its St. Louis office.

The role demands deep expertise in legal research, knowledge management, and AI-enabled workflows, with a track record of changing service models and delivering ROI in a large professional services firm. Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement are essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Library Science, Information Science, Knowledge Management, Legal Technology, Data/Information Management, or equivalent required.
• JD, MBA, advanced degree, or equivalent professional experience in a law firm or research environment may be considered.
• Minimum of 8 years in legal research, law library leadership, knowledge management, or information services with 5 years in leadership at Am Law 200 or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Defines and executes a multi-year strategic vision for transforming the Firm’s library function into a modern research & knowledge services team.
• Partners with practice group leaders to identify research, knowledge, data, current awareness, precedent, experience, and workflow needs.
• Leads, develops, and manages a diverse team of research, knowledge, and information professionals.
• Oversees selection, deployment, and optimization of research resources informed by usage analytics and demand.
• Leads evaluation, pilot, governance and scaling of AI-enabled research tools including Harvey, Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law, and Vital Law.
• Develops responsible AI research protocols with firm leaders to improve research quality and client service.
• Develops firmwide approaches to capturing value of research, cost recovery, and billable service models where appropriate.
• Manages budget planning, cost control, and ROI analytics for practice-aligned investments.
• Monitors developments in legal AI and knowledge management to inform adoption and governance.

Skills

Legal research

Knowledge management

AI in law

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master’s in Library Science

JD or MBA preferred

Legal technology or information management experience

Tools

Westlaw

LexisNexis

Bloomberg Law

Vital Law

Job description

Thompson Coburn LLP seeks a Director of Research and Knowledge Services to lead a multi-state firm’s library and knowledge functions from its St. Louis office.

The role demands deep expertise in legal research, knowledge management, and AI-enabled workflows, with a track record of changing service models and delivering ROI in a large professional services firm. Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement are essential.