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Research attorney skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.,

James Tomaszewski

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical research attorney skills. We ranked the top skills for research attorneys based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.3% of research attorney resumes contained litigation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a research attorney needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 research attorney skills for your resume and career

1. Litigation

Here's how research attorneys use litigation:

Practice focused in all areas of tort litigation including catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability.
Drafted civil litigation motions and declarations.

2. Legal Issues

Here's how research attorneys use legal issues:

Conduct independent research regarding specific legal issues to assist judicial officers.
Identified sources, determined scope of research, and compiled data regarding circumstances, precedents and other legal issues.

3. Legal Memoranda

Here's how research attorneys use legal memoranda:

Conducted legal research; and *Wrote judicial opinions and legal memoranda
Conducted legal research on probate cases, and drafted legal memoranda for the court's review.

4. Appeals

Here's how research attorneys use appeals:

Prepare standardized research reports analyzing lower court decisions and making recommendations to Court of Appeals judges.
Prepare appellate briefs for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

5. Legal Support

Here's how research attorneys use legal support:

Provided tactical legal support to Global Information Security teams in security breach reporting, investigation and management and client response.
Provided day-to-day legal support and advice to corporate executive staff on general business and strategic matters.

6. Probate

Here's how research attorneys use probate:

Reviewed and analyzed deeds, leases, probate records, mortgages, mineral reservations, and other applicable legal instruments.
Acted as probate examiner, special master, and discovery referee.

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7. Summary Judgment

Here's how research attorneys use summary judgment:

Prepared motions for summary judgment regarding a retaliatory discharge and school bus accident negligence case.
Drafted orders on summary judgment motions.

8. Legal Opinions

Here's how research attorneys use legal opinions:

Conducted legal research and drafted legal opinions for Senior Counsel.
Assisted in developing and implementing positions on natural gas policy; drafted and introduced legal opinions for amendments influencing business activities.

9. Court Orders

Here's how research attorneys use court orders:

Drafted court orders, judicial opinions, and other documents for the Judge.
Drafted Court Orders for attorneys based on the evidence presented during the interviews.

10. Justices

Here's how research attorneys use justices:

Engaged in significant personal interaction with all Supreme Court of Guam Justices.
Prepared memoranda for submission to the Justices with recommendations for action thereon.

11. Criminal Law

Here's how research attorneys use criminal law:

General practice law firm specializing in personal injury litigation, medical malpractice, matrimonial law and criminal law.
Researched and authored opinion letters and prosecution memorandum on federal criminal law and statutes.

12. Family Law

Here's how research attorneys use family law:

Analyzed and wrote an advisory memo regarding possible ethical violations by an attorney in a family law case.
Assisted Judge Tara Flanagan with one of her family law cases.

13. Civil Law

Here's how research attorneys use civil law:

Conducted research and developed case studies for civil law including police discrimination and copyright law.
Reviewed cases on civil law and motion calendar.

14. Trial Motions

Here's how research attorneys use trial motions:

Researched and drafted statements of decision for criminal pretrial motions in felony cases.
Drafted bench briefs for Superior Court judges with legal analysis and recommended rulings on pre-trial and trial motions.

15. Legal Briefs

Here's how research attorneys use legal briefs:

Researched, wrote and edited advocacy and objective memoranda and legal briefs for attorney clients
Prepared legal briefs and related legal correspondence.

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What skills help Research Attorneys find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on research attorney resumes?

Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Kent State University

-Online teaching experience
-Flexibility in teaching modalities
-Research and critical thinking continue to be important
-Digital technology
-Ability to ask good questions
-Writing skills
-Understanding facts

What hard/technical skills are most important for research attorneys?

James Tomaszewski

Director of the Center for Professional Development, University of Cincinnati

Excellent writing skills.

What soft skills should all research attorneys possess?

James Tomaszewski

Director of the Center for Professional Development, University of Cincinnati

Engagement, Resilience, Responsiveness, Respectfulness, Integrity.

What research attorney skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Patrick Webb Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Saint Augustine's University

Given the influence and efficacy of data analysis and the use of data in decision-making, I would encourage students to receive additional instruction in the area of data analytics and interpretation. This includes enrolling in courses or receiving one-on-one instruction (i.e., tutoring) in the subject area of statistics and/or research methods. In addition, given the impact of global catastrophic events, I would also encourage students to receive instruction within the disciplines of sociology, social psychology, and developmental psychology.

What technical skills for a research attorney stand out to employers?

Paula Smith

Assistant Dean for Career & Professional Development, Texas Tech University

Legal employers are seeking young lawyers with a good academic grasp of the law, excellent legal research and writing skills, advocacy abilities including negotiation, trial, and appellate exposure, and personal attributes of integrity, teamwork, diligence, resilience, and an expectation of success.

Do you want to know more?

List of research attorney skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a research attorney resume and required skills for a research attorney to have include:

Litigation
Legal Issues
Legal Memoranda
Appeals
Legal Support
Probate
Summary Judgment
Legal Opinions
Court Orders
Justices
Criminal Law

Family Law
Civil Law
Trial Motions
Legal Briefs
Oral Arguments
Research Reports
Legal Analysis
Commercial Litigation
Circuit Court
Criminal Cases
Federal Courts

Employment Law
State Laws
District Court
Federal Laws
Appellate Briefs
Legal Research
Contract Disputes
Civil Litigation
Medicare
Legal Arguments

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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