About this role
About Pacesetter Research Pacesetter Research is a research and intelligence team dedicated to studying how the legal world—law firms, legal departments, and third-party players like legaltech, ASLPs, and etc.—are adapting to rapidly-changing market environments. In short, the Pacesetter Research team is dedicated to studying the role of innovation in law, but not just any innovation: we’re looking for innovation that has a measurable impact for key stakeholders. This term, “innovation,” is often conflated with merely adopting new, advanced technologies but we look across firm management, client relationship management, service delivery, and talent strategy. How do we do this? We approach innovation through a combination of primary research, proprietary data collection, executive interviews, and market analysis, in the process identifying the innovations, business strategies, and operating models shaping the future of law. Our mission is to generate actionable insights that inform key decision-makers across legal markets. About the Role The Law.com Pacesetter Research team is seeking a highly analytical and intellectually curious Research Analyst to join our team. This role combines primary research, secondary research, data analysis, data management, and thought leadership development focused on the evolving legal industry. There is also an important part of this role which involves working closely with other, adjacent teams on research projects and presentations. The successful candidate will conduct executive interviews, analyze survey and market data, maintain a database of proprietary data, evaluate business and technology trends, and help produce original research for publication through Law.com Compass and other industry channels. The analyst will contribute to major research initiatives led by senior analysts while also owning portions of research projects and producing independent content. While relevant experience is important, we are equally interested in candidates who demonstrate exceptional research instincts, analytical rigor, intellectual curiosity, and strong communication skills. We recognize that outstanding researchers come from a variety of backgrounds and industries. Candidates who show the potential to quickly learn the legal market and contribute to our research mission are encouraged to apply, even if they do not meet every preferred qualification. This position is ideal for candidates who enjoy uncovering patterns, testing assumptions, and translating complex information into actionable insights for senior business leaders. This is an opportunity to build a personal brand Conduct Primary Research • Conduct in-depth interviews with managing partners, chief operating officers, innovation leaders, talent executives, general counsel, and other senior professionals. • Develop interview guides and research protocols. • Identify key themes, emerging trends, and differing viewpoints across interviews. • Extract actionable insights from qualitative research. Perform Secondary Research • Analyze publicly available information including firm websites, industry reports, financial disclosures, news coverage, conference presentations, and other published sources. • Evaluate the credibility and significance of competing information sources. • Monitor emerging developments affecting the legal market and professional services sector. Analyze Data and Develop Insights • Analyze survey results and research datasets. • Identify patterns, correlations, and outliers. • Synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings into evidence-based conclusions. • Develop frameworks, models, and narratives that explain business outcomes and market developments. Produce Research Content • Draft report sections, executive summaries, and analytical commentary. • Create charts, exhibits, and visualizations that support key conclusions. • Contribute to major research publications. • Independently author shorter reports, articles, or research briefs. Support Research Program Development • Assist in survey design and questionnaire development. • Help refine research methodologies and analytical approaches. • Contribute ideas for future research topics and study design. • Collaborate with senior analysts and research leadership on publication planning. • Liaise with adjacent teams to provide innovation insights and output support.