Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp is a mid-sized law firm on the west side of Los Angeles (Century City). The firm practices business law with an emphasis on Complex Litigation, Intellectual Property & Technology, Immigration, Labor & Employment, Entertainment, Tax, Benefits, Corporate Business Transaction, and Wealth Management. We are seeking a part time, flexible hour Research Librarian to join our Los Angeles office.
The Research Librarian will be the front line for research on legal and business topics and provide general reference assistance for lawyers, clients and firm departments using a variety of electronic and print resources. Typical projects may include research on individuals, attorneys, judges, mediators, and companies; legislative history research; locating court documents; researching example pleadings or motions; locating example clauses in SEC filings; and tracking litigation. . Critical thinking skills and a willingness to learn are a must, but experience in a law firm library is not necessary.
This position is part-time and will have a set schedule that is mutually agreed upon within core business hours. A typical workday at MSK is 9 am-5:30 pm and the hours worked per week should be between 15-20 hours a week.
JOB FUNCTIONS
· Performs both quick and in-depth, complex case, statute, company, news, public records and business research with the ability to acquire, organize, and disseminate information in the most cost effective and timely manner.
· Identifies resources and develops research strategies for attorneys, paralegals and other staff.
· Assists with collection development by evaluating information needs, research requests, available resources and usage patterns; provides input on addition of new resources and weeding of resources no longer needed.
· Assists with financial management of the library by reviewing and confirming invoices and allocating expenses to the appropriate accounts.
· Assists with maintaining the library intranet pages and other tools to facilitate research, retrieval and current awareness among all internal parties.
· Assists in orientation of new attorneys to library services, research materials, procedures and policies.
· Supports the firm’s usage of legal and business databases by acting as a backup for securing passwords, coordinating introductory and recurring training and trouble-shooting technical issues.
· Must stay current with new and developing trends in research and technology and continually develop expertise (attend trainings, read literature).
· Special projects and other duties as assigned.
JOB QUALIFICATIONS
· Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA accredited program or comparable degree is required.
· Fluency in computer-assisted research concepts and demonstrated facility in electronic research including legal, scientific, business and public records databases.
· Detail-oriented and organized, with ability to perform routine tasks with thoroughness, precision and care.
· Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
· Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and Adobe Acrobat.
· Strong customer service skills, including the ability to prioritize requests with a high level of competence and accuracy; the ability to remain composed and professional under stressful circumstances.
· Ability for critical thinking and complex problem solving.
· Strong work ethic and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
· Experience using major legal and business databases/research platforms, including Lexis Advance, Courtlink, PACER, CCH Intelliconnect, and Practical Law.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
· Light to moderate physical effort, including climbing step stools, pushing loaded book carts, lifting books (weighing up to 30 pounds) and carrying various other materials (weighing up to 15 pounds). Ability to touch and feel using a computer keyboard. Ability to see color and data on computer monitor.
www.msk.com
EOE
Qualified candidates with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable law.
Job Type: Part-time
Work Location:
- One location
Work Remotely:
- Temporarily due to COVID-19